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PITTMAN'S EUROPEAN SETTLEMENTS 
ON THE MISSISSIPPI 



Gf this -ofork five hundred copies are printed, 
of which this is j4iw JtCt4..,jrl--c^-#*t,-'f^A^ 



THE PRESENT STATE 

OF THE 

EUROPEAN SETTLEMENTS ON 
THE MISSISIPPI 

With a Geographical Description of that River 
illustrated by Plans and Draughts 

BY 

CAPTAIN PHILIP PITTMAN 



An exact reprint of the original edition, London, 1 770 j 
edited, with Introducdon, Notes, and Index, hy 

FRANK HEYWOOD HODDER 

Professor of American History 
University of Kansas 



FFitb facsimiles of the original maps and plans 



IW7t 



I'l'y/A CO /*'"«• 



Cleveland 

The Arthur H. Clark Company 

1906 



IlIbRARY of CONGRESS 
Two CoDies Received 

APh 17 1906 

A Copi'right Entry , 
Vik^'i uL XXc, No, 



COPYRIGHT 1906, BY 
THE ARTHUR H. CLARK COMPANY 

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 



CONTENTS 



Introduction. The Editor . . . , 

Pittman's "European Settlements on the 
Missisippi" 



on the Missisippi 



Preface 

Of the River Missisippi 
Of the Post and Settlements 
New Orleans 
River Ibbeville 
Pointe Coupee 
Tonicas 
Pelousas 
Natches 

Post of Arcansas 
Cascasquias 
La Praire de Roches 
Fort Chartres 
Saint Philippe 
Kaoquias 

Saint Louis, or Paincourt 
Sainte Genevieuve, or Misere 
Of the Country of the Illinois 
Of the Government of the Country of Illinois 
Of the Inhabitants , . , . . 
Arret of the Superior Council of the Province 
October 29, 1768 .... 



23 
29 

38 

41 
62 

72 

75 
76 
78 
82 
84 

87 
88 

91 
92 

94 
95 
97 

99 
102 

105 



Index. The Editor 



163 



ILLUSTRATIONS 

Facsimile of Original Title-Page . . 21 

Folding Maps and Plans . . Al end of volume 

A Draught of the River Missisippi from the Balise 
up to Fort Chartres (in three parts) 

A Plan of Mobile 

Plan of New Orleans 

Draught of the R. Ibbeville 

Plan of Fort Rosalia 

A Plan of Cascaskies 



INTRODUCTION 

Respecting Philip Pittman, the author of the book 
that is here reprinted, but few biographical data are 
obtainable. It appears from the British Army Lists 
that he was commissioned an ensign July 13, 1760 
and he is reported as an ensign in the 48th Regi- 
ment of Foot in the Lists for 1761, 1762, and 1763. 
By the Peace of Paris England obtained from 
France all of Louisiana east of the Mississippi River 
except the Isle of Orleans, and from Spain the prov- 
ince of Florida. It immediately became necessary 
to occupy and to organize this newly acquired ter- 
ritory. August 7, 1763 the 3rd Battery of Royal 
Artillery from Havana received Pensacola from 
the Spanish commandant, and October 20 a de- 
tachment of Highlanders received Mobile from the 
French. Pittman must have come with the first 
British troops or soon afterward, since he says that 
he " resided five years as an engineer in those parts " 
and it is definitely known that he left them toward 
the close of 176(8. 

The King's proclamation of October 7 divided 
the territory acquired from France and Spain on 
the Gulf of Mexico into the two provinces of East 
and West Florida by the line of the Appalachicola. 
The military command of the two provinces was 
assigned to General Henry Bouquet, the hero of 
Pontiac's war, but he died soon after his arrival 



lo Pittman's Mississippi Settlements 

there and the command devolved upon Colonel Will- 
iam Taylor. A Scotchman by the name of George 
Johnstone was appointed governor of West Flor- 
ida and arrived early in 1764. He proved to be 
a man of violent temper and the two years of his 
administration were filled with continuous quarrels 
with the military authorities. As yet the Illinois 
villages had not been occupied by the English. For 
this purpose Major Arthur Loftus was sent from 
Mobile up the Mississippi with a detachment of the 
22d regiment. Reaching a point, then known as 
Davion's heights, a little above the mouth of the 
Red River, he was attacked by the Tonicas on the 
twentieth of March, 1764, and driven back with a 
loss of five men killed and four wounded, as Pitt- 
man tells us. A few months later Pittman made 
an attempt to ascend the river. He does not men- 
tion it himself but Parkman found a record of it in 
Pittman's correspondence with D'Abbadie in the 
French archives. From this it appears that Pitt- 
man "bethought him.self of assuming the disguise 
of a Frenchman, joining a party of Creole traders, 
and thus reaching his destination by stealth; but, 
weighing the risk of detection, he abandoned this 
design and returned to Mobile." 

The attempts to reach the Illinois country from 
the south in 1764 having failed, in the spring of 
1765 Major George Croghan was sent from Fort 
Pitt through the western country to propitiate the 
Indians. He reached Fort Chartres and returned 
to Detroit, whence he reported the success of his 
mission. A company of the 42d Highlanders under 



Introduction ii 



Captain Thomas Stirling was then sent down the 
Ohio and arrived at Fort Chartres in time to take 
possession on October lo. In the spring of 1765 
Pittman was making the survey of the Iberville and 
the report to General Gage in regard to it that he 
includes in his book. While Captain Stirling was 
floating down the Ohio River, Major Robert Farmer 
and the 34th Regiment of Foot, with Pittman as 
engineer, were slowly making their way up the Mis- 
sissippi. Passing the Iberville in July, they reached 
the present site of Natchez in August, when Pitt- 
man says that he made his survey of Fort Rosalie. 
As they did not reach Fort Chartres until Decem- 
ber 4, the date upon which Major Farmer super- 
seded Captain Stirling, they must have been more 
than five months on the way. Pittman remained in 
the Illinois villages until the spring of 1767. On 
the way up the river and during the year that he 
spent in Illinois, he must have made the surveys 
and investigations that he reports in his book. 

In March of 1767 General Frederick Haldimand 
arrived in Pensacola as the successor of General 
Bouquet in the command of the Southern District 
of North America. From his papers, which have 
been copied and calendared by the Canadian gov- 
ernment, may be gathered the history of the Flor- 
idas during his administration. The following quo- 
tations from the calendar show that Pittman was 
busily engaged during the years 1767 and 1768 in 
making surveys in different parts of West Florida. 
April 31, 1767, "Lt. Pitman has arrived from Illi- 
nois." June 16, "Lt. Pittman gone with a surveyor 



12 Pittmans Mississippi Settlements 

employed by the Admiralty to prepare a plan of the 
Appalaches," which was the post at the head of 
Mobile Bay. October 30, "Capt. Denny, Com- 
mandant at Iberville, and Lieut. Pittman, hired a 
small schooner to come to Pensacola by Lake Pont- 
chartrain; left on the 8th and no word of her; not 
uneasy as some vessels have taken 42 days to come." 
November 28, General Haldimand writes: "Has 
employed Lt. Pittman in surveying the rivers lead- 
ing to Tombecbay." Tombecbe was a French out- 
post on the Tombigbee above the confluence of the 
Black Warrior. December 16, Stuart writes Hal- 
dimand: "The expedition of Mr. Pitman will be 
delayed by bad weather." February 9, 1768, Act- 
ing Governor Montford Browne "Asks that Mr. 
Pitman be sent with him as engineer on a visit he 
proposes to make to different parts of the Province " 
and later in the month " Regrets that Mr. Pitman, 
engineer cannot be spared." February 28, General 
Haldimand notes "Return to Mobile of the garri- 
son of Tombecbe. Survey of the river by Lieut. 
Pittman." The winter was one of unusual severity 
and Haldimand decided to abandon the post. 
Among the Haldimand papers are five undated re- 
ports addressed by "Lieut. Pittman, R. E." to Gen- 
eral Haldimand. Their titles are : 

Description of the Fort at Appalache and the Look- 
out Tower. 
Description of the face of the country. 
Communication from Pensacola to Appalache. 
Communication from Appalache to St. Augustine. 
The boundaries of West Florida. 



Introduction 13 



Two engineering projects engaged the attention of 
the EngHsh in the Floridas: first the opening of a 
passage from the Mississippi to the Gulf by way of 
the Iberville, in order to reduce the distance and 
avoid the necessity of going to New Orleans, and 
second the building of a road connecting Mobile, 
Pensacola and St. Augustine. To the former Pitt- 
man had devoted a great deal of time. The latter 
was the subject of two of the papers just mentioned. 
It was also at this time that the surveys of Mobile 
and New Orleans were made. 

Parkman has remarked the propensity of a hand- 
ful of men in a wilderness to quarrel. The British 
in West Florida were no exception to the rule and 
Haldimand noted upon his arrival that party strife 
was the bane of the province. There were two fac- 
tions: the military party and the adherents of the 
governor. With the latter Pittman allied himself. 
The outcome of the struggle between them was the 
court-martial of Major Farmer, which was the prin- 
cipal excitement in West Florida in 1767 and 1768 
and the constant theme of General Haldimand's let- 
ters. Charges of embezzlement were made against 
Major Farmer by Governor Johnstone in Septem- 
ber 1766. After Governor Johnstone's retirement 
Pittman took up the charges against Major Farmer 
and the Haldimand papers contain " Articles of ac- 
cusation against Major Farmer, given in by Lt. 
Pittman, as corroborating the charge by Governor 
Johnstone." Farmer returned from Illinois for 
trial and made counter charges against Pittman. 
On account of the difficulty of getting officers to 



14 Pittman's Mississippi Settlements 



constitute the court, the trial was delayed until the 
spring of 1768. March 17 the court-martial "had 
at last assembled " and by June 26 Haldimand had 
transmitted its findings, which vindicated Farmer, 
to the Secretary of War. General Haldimand was 
unwilling to incur the trouble and expense of an- 
other court-martial. February 8 General Gage had 
written from New York that Lieut. Pittman might 
be sent to Headquarters for trial and April 29 Hal- 
dimand replied that he intended to send him. A 
month later, he writes: "Lieut. Pittman and 
Major Farmer may come to New York, where the 
former may be tried, if the latter chooses to pros- 
ecute." August 21 Haldimand writes to Farmer 
that "a courtmartial might be held at New York 
without delay, if he desires to prosecute Pittman." 
Farmer, however, appears to have been satisfied 
with his vindication and, upon the approval of the 
findings of the court-martial by the King, retired 
from the service and settled in Mobile. The details 
of this controversy seem trivial enough but they are 
after all merely a different phase of the struggle be- 
tween military and civil power which in New Eng- 
land culminated in the Revolution. 

Pittman left West Florida at the close of 1768, 
doubtless discomfited if not discredited by the out- 
come of Major Farmer's trial. He next appears as 
Captain Pittman, the author of The Present State 
of the Eitropean Settlements on the Missisippi, pub- 
lished by J. Nourse in London in 1770. He says 
that the book " was originally wrote at the request 
and for the perusal onty, of the secretary of state 



Introduction 15 



for the colonies." Arriving in London it would be 
natural for Pittman to appeal to ex-Governor John- 
stone, whose cause he had taken up in West Florida, 
and Johnstone, now a member of Parliament and a 
man of some influence, may have recommended 
Pittman to the favor of the ministry. As no fur- 
ther record of him has been found, it seems probable 
that he retired from the service upon his return to 
England and was brevetted a captain upon his re- 
tirement. 

There were several contemporary notices of Pitt- 
man's book. The London Magazine announced its 
publication "price 6 s." with the remark that it was 
"An article of importance executed with consid- 
erable judgment and fidelity." The Gentleman's 
Magazine printed a series of extracts. The 
Monthly Reviezv and Literary Journal transcribed 
"for the entertainment of our readers" the ac- 
count of the country of the Illinois and of the gov- 
ernment of the country, when belonging to the 
French, and gave the book an extended notice, com- 
mending its subject matter, reflecting mildly upon 
its style, but giving no information about the author 
not derivable from the book itself. Pittman's book 
was the first English book to describe the West. 
It was followed in course of time by the Topograph- 
ical Descriptions of Governor Pownall, Thomas 
Hutchins, and Captain Imlay. It was the author's 
evident object to impress the English people with 
the advantage of the possession of the Floridas and 
the Mississippi. He printed the Arret of the Su- 
perior Council of October 29, 1768 in full for the 



1 6 Pittman's Mississippi Settlements 

purpose of emphasizing the extent of French dis- 
content with Spanish rule and inspiring the Enghsh 
conquest of New Orleans. He might possibly have 
accomplished something in this direction had not 
the outbreak of the American Revolution diverted 
attention from the territory in question and changed 
the course of events. 

Later historians have found the book an impor- 
tant historical source. It was particularly com- 
mended by Air. William F. Poole, who was one of 
the earliest of American scholars to appreciate the 
full significance of the West. Mr. Joseph Wallace 
reprints a large part of the text in his Illinois and 
Louisiana under French rule. The plans of Mo- 
bile, New Orleans, Fort Rosalie and Kaskaskia 
have been frequently reproduced. In a note in the 
first volume of the Collections of the Illinois State 
Historical Library, Mr. H. W. Beckwith claimed 
that the plan of Kaskaskia was drawn by Thomas 
Hutchins but gave no proof of the statement. It 
is not to be supposed that Pittman himself made all 
the surveys upon which his maps were based. There 
was published in London in 1772 a map of the 
Course of the Mississipi, from the Balise to fort 
Chartres; taken on an expedition to the Illinois, in 
the latter end of the year 176^. By lieut. Ross of 
the ^4th regiment: improved from the surveys of 
that river made by the French. This map was re- 
issued in 1775 for Jeft'erys's American Atlas and 
parts of it are reproduced in Winsor's Mississippi 
Basin. It was based upon the surveys made by the 
expedition that Pittman accompanied and from its 



Introduction 17 



title it appears that there were earher French sur- 
veys of the river. Pittman merely used all the 
available material for the drawings from which 
Thomas Kitchin engraved the maps and plans in 
his book. 

From the time of La Salle to the American Civil 
War the possession of the Mississippi has been a 
controlling motive in American history, though its 
full importance was not always recognized. Even 
Burke, if he was the author of the Account of the 
European Settlements in America, thought that 
Mobile was more important than New Orleans not 
only for the control of the Gulf but of the inland 
trade as well, and Great Britain refused both banks 
of the Mississippi in 1763 and insisted upon the 
cession of Florida. Pittman's presence upon the 
scene and his " acquaintance with the principal in- 
habitants " just at this time enabled him to describe 
the Mississippi settlements as they were at the end 
of an era, the era of French possession. He saw 
the Illinois villages before they were deserted by 
the French and before the coming of the Americans. 
He was in close touch with the French at New Or- 
leans at the time of the insurrection against Ulloa 
and just before the coming of " Cruel O'Reilly." 
His picture has therefore the advantage of having 
been taken at an important historical moment. 

F. H. H. 



PITTMAN'S EUROPEAN SETTLEMENTS 
ON THE MISSISSIPPI 



THE 



PRESENT STATE 



O F T H E 



EUROPEAN SETTLEMENTS 



O N T H E 



M I S S I S I P P Ij 



WITH 



A GEgGRAPHicAL Descriptiont of that River, 



ILLUSTRATED BY 



PLANS AND DRAUGHTS. 



By Captain PHILIP PITTMAN. 



LONDON, 

Printed for J. N o u R s e, Bookfeller to His M A J E S T Y. 
MDCCLXX. 



PREFACE 

The European settlements on the river Missisippi 
comprehend Louisiana, part of West Florida, and 
the country of Illinois. Five years residence as an 
engineer in those countries, during which time I was 
chiefly employed in surveying and exploring their 
interior parts, and an acquaintance with the princi- 
pal inhabitants, enables me to speak with at least as 
much authority as any author who has hitherto 
wrote on the same subject. 

Louisiana is no longer the same as in the time of 
Pere Hennepin,^ and all other authors that I have 
read on this subject rather abound with Indian sto- 
ries and talks, than with useful information. 

Father Charlevoix^ made so rapid a progress 
through those countries, that the greatest part of 
what he advances must be from the doubtful infor- 
mation of others, and not from his own personal 
knowledge. Neither is the reader recompensed by 
the small quantity of pure ore he can extract from 
that mass of dross, in the elaborate accounts of Le 
Page du Pratz.^ 

^ A New Discovery of a Vast Country in America (London, 1698)'. 

^Journal of a Voyage to North America (London, 1761), and 
Letters to the Duchess of Lesdiguieres (London, 1763). These 
are different translations of the third volume of Charlevoix's 
Nouvelle France (Paris, 1744). Appearing toward the close of the 
Seven Years' War, they are said to have impressed the ministry 
with the importance of acquiring Canada. The Histoire had not 
at this time been translated into English. 

"Histoire de la Louisiane (Paris, 1758; English translation, 
London, 1763). 

23 



24 Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 

It may be thought extraordinary that I have con- 
fined my accounts to the banks of the Missisippi, 
and not touched on the other parts of West Florida, 
which may be supposed equally interesting. 

This work was originally wrote at the request, 
and for the perusal only, of the secretary of state 
for the colonies; [vi] and I imagined that he must 
have received every information necessary to form 
a perfect knowledge of that province, from persons 
who have commanded in it. Besides, my ingenious 
friend governor Johnstone^ has told me, that he in- 
tends soon to publish a book on this subject; by 
which means the deficiency in mine will be amply 
made up, and the publick will have the advantage 
of receiving instruction and entertainment from a 
much more pleasing and abler pen. 

I am surprised that nobody has yet attempted to 
wipe off the unfavourable impressions that have 
taken place in the minds of many people, from the 
unjust reports made of the climate of West Florida, 
and which still retards the settling of that fine coun- 
try. A regard for truth, and a desire to render 
service to that valuable province, the welfare of 
which has been obstructed by ignorance and mis- 
representation, makes me take this occasion to shew 
the true causes of its supposed unhealthiness. 

Pensacola and Mobile have both proved fatal to 
our troops; the former from mismanagement, the 



^George Johnstone was Governor of West Florida from 1763 to 
1766, and was later a member of Parliament and commodore in 
the navy. The projected book was "a description of the province 
for the purpose of attracting settlers." 



Pittmans Missisippi Settlements 25 

latter from its situation. When we took possession 
of Pensacola, in the latter end of the year 1763, it 
consisted of a fort and a few straggling houses; 
the fort was constructed of high stockades, enclos- 
ing in a very small space a house for the governor, 
and several miserable huts, built with pieces of 
bark, covered with the same materials, and most of 
them without floors; so that in the summer they 
were as hot as stoves, and the land engendered all 
sorts of vermin: in these wretched habitations the 
officers and soldiers dwelt. 

[vii] After we had possession some time, the 
commandant, with a view of making the fortifica- 
tion more respectable, surrounded the fort with a 
ditch; which, in fact, could answer no other pur- 
pose, than holding a quantity of stagnated water to 
empoison the little air that could find its way into 
the garrison. The thirty-first regiment of foot, 
which suffered remarkably from sickness and mor- 
tality in this place, was sent to it in the hottest part 
of the summer of 1765, unprovided with every thing 
necessary to preserve health in such a sudden 
change of climate. Brigadier-general Haldimand,^ 
in the beginning of 1767, immediately after his ar- 
rival here, caused the enceinte of the fort to be con- 
siderably extended, widened the streets, removed 
every thing that could obstruct a free circulation of 
air, and laid the place open to the sea, to give ad- 
mission to the breezes. The ensuing summer was 



^General, afterward Sir Frederick Haldimand was commander- 
in-chief of the military forces in the Floridas from 1766 to 1773. 



26 Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 

excessive hot, the thermometer having rose to one 
hundred and fourteen degrees ; yet, by the salutary 
precautions the general had taken, the troops were 
remarkably healthy, few fell sick, and scarce any 
died; although their lodgings, which of themselves 
may be supposed sufficient to destroy a good consti- 
tution, were little improved : from hence I presume 
that Pensacola is as healthy as any English settle- 
ment in the southern provinces of North America. 

Mobile is situated on the banks of the river of 
that name, just at the place where the fresh and salt 
waters mix; when the tide goes out it leaves an 
abundance of small fishes on the marshes which lie 
opposite the town, and the heat of the sun in sum- 
mer kills the fish; and the stench of them, of the 
stagnated water in the neighbouring swamps, and 
the slimy mud, render the air putrid. To [viii] this 
may be added, that the water of the wells is brack- 
ish, and there is none to be found wholsome within 
less than one mile and a half of the place. The 
twenty-first regiment of foot was sent to Mobile 
at the same time that the thirty-Hrst regiment gar- 
risoned Pensacola, and being equally unprovided 
with things necessary for troops newly arrived from 
Europe, and unseasoned to such a climate, suffered 
almost as much. I shall only add on this subject, 
which is a little distant from the true intent of my 
preface, that West Florida possesses the greatest 
advantage, as to its situation for commerce, and the 
communications to the different parts are rendered 
easy by fine navigable rivers, the banks of which 



Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 27 

are covered by a fresh luxuriant soil, capable of 
producing every thing natural to these climates. 

I have endeavoured to be as concise as possible; 
indeed the purpose it was wrote for seemed to de- 
mand it: I could with ease have been much more 
diffuse on subjects in which so much matter is con- 
tained. 

It is with fear and diffidence that I presume to ap- 
pear as an author; but a desire of communicating 
what I have been assured by friends would be of 
use to the publick, has been my only inducement; 
and if they have judged right, my utmost wishes 
will be amply gratified. 



THE PRESENT STATE OF THE EURO- 
PEAN SETTLEMENTS ON 
THE MISSISIPPI 



OF THE RIVER MISSISIPPI 

The river Missisippi has been known by a vari- 
ety of names; the first discoverers from Canada 
gave it the name of Colbert, in honour to that great 
minister, who was then in power. The famous ad- 
venturer. Monsieur de Salle, when he discovered the 
mouth, called it the river Saint Louis, by which 
name it has ever been distinguished in all publick 
acts, respecting the province of Louissianna: But 
its present general appellation of Missisippi^ is a 
corruption of Metchasippi; by which name it is still 
known to the Northern Savages, that word signify- 
ing, in their language, the Father of Rivers. 

Nothing can, with propriety, be asserted with re- 
spect to the source of this river, tho' there are people 
still existing, who pretend to have been there. The 
accounts, which I think should be paid most atten- 
tion to, are those which have been given by the 
Sioux, a [2] very numerous itinerant nation of In- 
dians, who generally reside in the countries North 
of the Missisippi: A few of them have sometimes 

'There is great variation among early writers in the spelling 
of Mississippi. The original of the modern form, Misisipi, has 
been gradually altered by doubling the consonants. It is still 
spelled with one "p" in French. 

29 



30 Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 

come to the French post, on the River IlHnois, to 
barter skins and furrs; but in general they dislike 
the Europeans, and have little inclination to be much 
acquainted with them. Their account is as follows : 
The river Missisippi rises from a very extensive 
swamp, and its waters are encreased by several 
rivers (some of them not inconsiderable) emptying 
themselves into it in its course to the fall of St. An- 
thony, which, by their accounts, is not less than 
seven hundred leagues from the great swamps: 
This is formed by a rock running a-cross the river, 
and falls about twelve feet perpendicular ; and this 
place is known to be eight hundred leagues from the 
sea. So that it is most probable that the Missisippi 
runs, at least, four thousand five hundred miles. 

The principal rivers which fall into the Missisippi, 
below the fall of St. Anthony, are, the river St. 
Pierre,^ which comes from the West; Saint Croix, 
from the East; Moingona,^ which is two hundred 
and fifty leagues below the fall, comes from the 
West, and is said to run one hundred and fifty 
leagues; and the river Illinois, the source of which 
is near the lake Michigan, East of the Missisippi 
two hundred leagues. 

The source of the river Missoury is unknown; 
the French traders go betwixt three and four hun- 
dred leagues up, to trafiic with the Indians who in- 
habit near its banks, and this branch of commerce 
is very considerable ; it employs annually eight thou- 

^ Minnesota River. 
^ Des Moines River. 



Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 31 

sand pounds worth of European goods, including a 
small quantity of rum, of all which the freight 
amounts to about one hundred per ,cent. Their re- 
turns are, at least, at the rate of three hundred 
per cent, so that they are certain of two hundred 
per cent profit. The mouth of this great river 
is five leagues below the river Illinois, and 
is generally called five hundred from the sea, 
tho' in fact it is not more than four hundred 
and fifty. From its confliuence to its source 
is supposed to be [3] eight hundred leagues, 
running from the north-west to the south-east. The 
muddy waters of the Missoury prevail over those of 
the Missisippi, running with violent rapidity to the 
ocean. The Missisippi glides with a gentle and 
clear stream, 'till it meets with this interruption. 
The next river of note, is the Ohio or Belle Riviere ; 
it empties itself about seventy leagues below the 
Missoury: its source is near the lake Erie, running 
from the north-east to the south-west, upwards of 
four hundred leagues. 

Ninety leagues further down is the river Saint 
Francis, on the west side of the Missisippi : this is 
a very small river, and is remarkable for nothing 
but being the general rendez-vous of the hunters 
from New Orleans, who winter there, and make a 
provision of salted meats, suet, and bears oil, for 
the supply of that city. The river Arkansas is 
thirty-five leagues lower down, and two hundred 
from New Orleans ; it is so called from a nation of 
Indians of the same name; its source is said to be 



32 Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 

in the same latitude as Santa Fe in New Mexico, 
and holds its course near three hundred leagues. 

The river Yazous comes from the north-east, and 
discharges itself into the Missisippi, sixty leagues 
from the Arkansas : formerly a nation of Indians of 
the same name had their villages on it, and there 
was a French post and settlement. The nation is 
entirely extinct, and there is not the least trace of 
any settlement. 

It is near sixty leagues from this little river to the 
river Rouge, which is so called from its waters, 
being of a reddish colour, and they tinge those of 
the Missisippi at the time of the floods; its source 
is in New Mexico, and it runs about two hundred 
leagues : the river Noir empties itself into this river 
about ten leagues from its confluence. The famous 
Ferdinand Soto ended his discoveries at the en- 
trance of the river Rouge, and was buried there. 

[4] Near seventy leagues up this river is a very 
considerable post, belonging to the French;^ it is a 
frontier on the Spanish settlements, being twenty 
miles from the Fort of Adaies.^ The French fort 
is garrisoned by a captain, two subalterns, and 
about fifty men : there are forty families, consisting 
mostly of discharged soldiers, and some merchants 
who trade with the Spaniards. A great quantity of 
tobacco is cultivated at this port, and sells for a 
good price at New Orleans, being held in great 



^ Natchitoches. 

2 Adaes was on the Sabine River. The name was that of an 
Indian tribe among whom the Spaniards had a mission. 



Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 33 

esteem: they send also some peltry, which they re- 
ceive in trade from the neighbouring Indians. 

From the river Rouge to the sea, there are only 
some small brooks, of no account. The Bayouk of 
Pelousas, which is about three miles from the river 
Rouge and the river Ibberville, are described in the 
account hereafter given of the settlements on the 
river Missisippi. 

It is peculiar to the river Missisippi, that no part 
of the waters which overflow its banks, ever return 
to their former channel: this is a circumstance, 
which I believe is not to be met with in any other 
river in the world. All the lands from the river 
Ibbeville to the sea, have been formed in the suc- 
cession of ages, by the vast quantities of slimy mud, 
trees, dead wood, and leaves which the river brings 
down at its annual floods, which begin in the month 
of March, by the melting of the snow and ice in the 
northern parts. This innundation continues three 
months. The muddy lands produce long grass, 
canes, and reeds in great abundance: at the over- 
flowings of the river, the grass, canes, and reeds 
stop great quantities of the mud and rubbish that 
descend with the current. The long grass, &c. near- 
est the river, must receive a greater quantity of this 
rubbish than that which is more distant, and this 
causes the bank of the Missisippi to be higher than 
the interior land, and accounts for the waters never 
returning to the river ; and we may reasonably sup- 
pose, that the lakes on each side are parts of the sea, 
not yet filled up. Thus the land is annually raised, 



34 Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 

and continually [5] gains on the sea. The Balize, 
a small fort, erected by the French on a little island, 
was, in the year 1734, at the mouth of the river; 
it is now two miles up. In the year 1767, Don An- 
tonio D'Ulloa erected some barracks on a small 
island (to which he gave the name of Saint Carlos) 
for the convenience of pilots, and other purposes, 
being near the south-east entrance of the river, and 
a more dry and higher situation than any there- 
abouts. There was not the least appearance of this 
island twenty years ago. 

Before I quit this subject, I must observe, that on 
digging ten or twelve feet in the lands I have above 
described, large bodies of trees have been frequently 
found. The craw-fish abound in this country; they 
are in every part of the earth, and when the inhab- 
itants chuse a dish of them, they send to their gar- 
dens, where they have a small pond dug for that 
purpose, and are sure of getting as many as they 
have occasion for. A dish of shrimps is as easily 
procured by hanging a small canvas bag with a bit 
of meat in it, to the bank of the river, and letting 
it drop a little below the surface of the water ; in a 
few hours a sufficient quantity will have got into the 
bag. Shrimps are found in the Missisippi as far 
as Natches, which is near one hundred and thirty 
leagues from the sea. 

I have before mentioned, that the river-water is 
remarkably muddy : I have filled a half-pint tumbler 
with it, and have found a sediment of two inches of 
slime. It is, notwithstanding, extremely wholesome 



Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 35 

and well tasted, and very cool in the hottest seasons 
of the year ; and the rowers, who are then employed, 
drink of it when they are in the strongest perspira- 
tion, and never receive any bad effects from it. The 
inhabitants of New Orleans use no other water than 
that of the river, which, by keeping in a jar, be- 
comes perfectly clear. 

The navigation of the Missisippi is confined to 
vessels not drawing above seventeen feet water, 
there being little more in the deepest [6] channel 
on the bar, which is subject to shift very often; so 
that a pilot is constantly employed in sounding. On 
every part of the bar there is nine feet water, 
and small vessels go over it without fear: frigates 
of thirty-six guns have often gone through the 
channel, after taking their guns out. When once 
a vessel has crossed the bar, the remainder of the 
navigation is very safe, keeping clear of the great 
trees, which float down with the current. When 
winds are contrary, vessels make fast to the trees 
on the banks of the river, and haul close, there being 
sufficient depth of water for any ship whatever. It 
is impossible to anchor without being exposed to 
the danger of the great trees which come down with 
the current almost continually, but more especially 
at the time of the floods, which if any of them should 
come athwart hawse, would most probably drive in 
the bows of the vessel; and there is a certainty of 
loosing the anchors, as the bottom of the river is 
very soft mud, covered with sunk logs, and is in 
general at least sixty fathoms deep, and this sort 



36 Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 

of bottom and depth continues almost as far as the 
Natches ; and all vessels that enter the river, can go 
up within three miles of that post. 

The merchandize necessary for the commerce to 
Natchitoches, Missoury, and in general the upper 
posts on or near the Missisippi, is carried by Bat- 
teaus, which are rowed by eighteen or twenty men, 
and contain about forty tons burthen ; they are com- 
monly three months going from New Orleans to 
the Illinois. They always go in convoys from New 
Orleans, and before they set out appoint an officer 
from amongst themselves to command them; or 
apply for a king's officer for that purpose; and 
whenever they put on shore to eat their meals, or 
encamp for the night, they have a regular guard 
mounted : they use these precautions for fear of any 
attack from the Indians. The Chicashaws formerly 
were very troublesome to them. Two of these con- 
voys, consisting of from [7] seven to twelve Bat- 
teaus, go from New Orleans twice a year, viz. in 
the spring and autumn. 

In the spring the Missisippi is very high ; and tho' 
the current is so strong that nothing can make head 
against it in the middle of the river, they have an 
advantage by an eddy or counter-current, which 
runs in the bends, and close to the banks of the 
river, and greatly facilitates their voyage. The cur- 
rent, at this season, runs at the rate of six or seven 
miles an hour : in autumn, when the waters are low, 
it in general does not run above two miles an hour, 
except in some parts of the river, above the Arkan- 



Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 37 

sas, where there are a great many islands, shoals, 
and sand-banks of some miles circumference, which 
make the voyage more dangerous, longer, and less 
expeditious, than in the spring; and this makes it 
further necessary, that boats should go in convoys, 
that they may assist each other in case of meeting 
with any of the accidents they are so evidently ex- 
posed to. Great pieces of coal are constantly found 
on the sand-banks, from whence it may be con- 
cluded, that there are coal-mines on the upper parts 
of the Missisippi. 



OF THE POST AND SETTLEMENTS 
ON THE MISSISIPPI 

To proceed with order and facility in describing 
the posts which are on the Missisippi, and those 
which communicate with that river, I shall begin 
with the Balize, and so go on, ascending the river. 
The island of Saint Carlos, of which I have be- 
fore spoke, is near the entrance of the Missisippi, 
and lies in twenty-nine degrees north latitude, and 
in eighty-nine degrees ten minutes longitude from 
the meridian of Tondon: there are houses for the 
residence of an officer, twenty soldiers, a pilot, and 
a chaplain. The reason of establishing this post, 
is that assistance may be given to vessels coming 
into the river, and to forward intelligence or dis- 
patches to New Orleans : This is called the Balize^ 
as well as the French post, which lies two miles east 
of the entrance of the river, and was originally built 
with the same design, and as a defence for the 
mouth of the river : its situation (which is very low 
and swampy) would never admit of any strong for- 
tification ; but what there was, is now gone to ruin : 
nothing remains but the soldiers barracks, and three 
or four guns en barbette. From this place nothing 
is to be seen but low marshes, continually over- 
flowed, till we get within a few leagues of the De- 

_ ^ Balize is located on the maps of the Mississippi River Commis- 
sion five miles from the mouth of South East pass. 

38 



Pittm art's Missisippi Settlements 39 

tour de L'Anglois, where there are some few plan- 
tations, most of which are but very late establish- 
ments, and are, as yet, but of very little consequence. 
At the Detour the river forms almost a circle; so 
that vessels cannot pass it with the same wind that 
conducted them to it, and are obliged to wait for a 
shift of wind. This gave the idea to the French, of 
[9] building two forts at this Pass, one on each side 
of the river, to prevent the enterprises of any ene- 
mies; for although the forts are only enclosures of 
stockades and a defence against small arms, the 
batteries on each side, which are of ten twelve- 
pounders, are more than sufficient to stop the prog- 
ress of any vessel, as there is no possibility of moor- 
ing nor of making a vessel fast on shore : the impos- 
sibility of mooring has been before accounted for 
by the description given of the bed of the river. The 
going on shore is equally impossible, as the forts are 
on points of land, which are bounded by the river 
on one side and by swamps on the other, so that 
any attacks against them must prove unsuccessful. 
Such is the situation of these forts, which might be- 
sides receive continual reinforcements from the in- 
habitants in their neighbourhood, and from New 
Orleans, which is but seventeen miles distant. The 
authors who have wrote concerning Louisiana have 
given many different reasons for this place being 
called the Detour des Anglois; I shall give that 
which appears the most probable. 

The officers who had been sent to reconoitre the 
Missisippi, and to report the properest place to build 



40 Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 

the capital of Louisiana on, in their return to Mo- 
bile, going down the river, saw an English brig 
made fast to the shore, which curiosity had induced 
to go thus far up, and was waiting for a fair wind 
to proceed on further discoveries. The plantations 
and the well-built houses on each side the river af- 
ford a very pleasing and agreeable prospect, which 
continues till we arrive at New Orleans; and this, 
with a tolerable fair wind, is an affair of about four 
hours. 



NEW ORLEANS 

New Orleans stands on the east side of the river, 
and in 30°. north latitude; its situation is extremely 
well chosen, as it has a very easy communication 
with the northern parts of Louisiana (now West 
Florida) by means of the Bayouk of St. John, a 
little creek, which is navigable for small vessels 
drawing less than six feet water, six miles up from 
the lake Ponchartrain, where there is a landing- 
place, at which the vessels load and unload ; and this 
is about two miles from the city. The entrance of 
the Bayouk of St. John is defended by a battery of 
six guns and a Serjeant's guard. The vessels which 
come up the Missisippi haul close along-side the 
bank next to New Orleans, to which they make fast, 
and take in or discharge their cargoes with the same 
facility as from a wharf. The town is secured 
from the inundations of the river by a raised bank, 
generally called the Levee; and this extends from 
the Detour des Anglois, to the upper settlement of 
the Germans, which is a distance of more than fifty 
miles, and a good coach-road all the way. The 
Levee before the town is repaired at the public ex- 
pence, and each inhabitant keeps that part in repair 
which is opposite to his own plantation. Having 
described the situation of the city of New Orleans, I 
will proceed to its plan of construction. 

41 



42 Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 

The parade is a large square, in the middle of 
that part of the town which fronts the river ; in the 
back part of the square is the church dedicated to 
St. Louis, a very poor building, framed with wood; 
it is in so ruinous a condition that divine service 
has not been performed in it since the year 1766, 
one of the king's store-houses being at present used 
for that purpose. The capuchins are the curates of 
New Orleans; on the left hand side of the church 
[11] they had a very handsome and commodious 
brick house, which is totally deserted and gone to 
ruin; they now live on their plantation, and in a 
hired house in town. On the right hand side of the 
church is the prison and guard-house, which are 
very strong and good buildings. The two sides of 
the square were formerly occupied by barracks for 
the troops, which are entirely destroyed. The 
square is open to the river, and on that side are 
twenty-one pieces of ordnance, en barbette, which 
are fired on public rejoicings. All the streets are 
perfectly straight, and cross each other at right 
angles, and these divide the town into sixty-six 
squares, eleven in length by the river's side, and six 
in depth ; the sides of these squares are one hundred 
yards each, and are divided into twelve lotts, for the 
establishment of the inhabitants. The intendant's 
house and gardens take up the right side of the 
parade, the left side is occupied by the king's store- 
houses and an artillery-yard. There is at present 
no building set on part for the governor ; his gen- 
eral residence is in a large house, which was for- 



Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 43 

merly the property of the company who were the 
proprietors of Louisiana, known by the name of la 
compagnie d'occident. The agent of the company 
is now owner of the house. The convent of the 
UrsuHnes and general hospital, which is attended 
by the nuns, occupy the two left hand squares facing 
the river : these buildings are strong and plain, well 
answering the purposes for which they were de- 
signed. The general plan of building in the town, 
is with timber frames filled up with brick ; and most 
of the houses are but of one floor, raised about eight 
feet from the ground, with large galleries round 
them, and the cellars under the floors level with the 
ground; it is impossible to have any subterraneous 
buildings, as they would be constantly full of water. 
I imagine that there are betwixt seven and eight 
hundred houses in the town, most of which have 
gardens. The squares at the back and sides of the 
town are mostly laid out in gardens; the orange- 
trees, with which they are planted, are not unpleas- 
ant objects, and in the spring afford an agreeable 
smell. 

[12] There are, exclusive of the slaves, about 
seven thousand inhabitants in town, of all ages 
and sexes. The fortifications are only an enceinte 
of stockades, with a banquette within and a very 
trifling ditch without ; these can answer no end but 
against Indians, or negroes, in case of an insurrec- 
tion, and keep the slaves of the town and country 
from having any communication in the night. 
There are about four hundred soldiers kept for the 



44 Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 

police of the town and country; these belong to the 
detached companies of the marines: there are also 
ten companies of militia, four chosen from the in- 
habitants of the town, the planters and their serv- 
ants form the remainder. 

The government of Louisiana is composed of a 
governor, an intendant, and a royal council. The 
governor is invested with a great deal of power, 
which, however, on the side of the crown is checked 
by the intendant, who has the care of the king's 
rights, and whatever relates to the revenue; and on 
the side of the people it is checked by the royal coun- 
cil, whose office it partly is to see that the people 
are not oppressed by the one nor defrauded by the 
other. The royal council, who stile themselves Le 
Conseil superieur de la Louisiane, consist of the in- 
tendant, who is first judge, the king's attorney, six 
of the principal inhabitants, and the register of the 
province; and they judge in all criminal and civil 
matters. Every man has a right to plead his own 
cause before them, either verbally or by a written 
petition; and the evidences called on by each party 
attend the examination of the council. In a court 
like this, eloquence or great abilities cannot support 
injustice or confound truth. 

The intendant is commissary of the marine and 
judge of the admiralty; and he decides, in a sum- 
mary manner, all disputes between merchants, or 
whatever else has a relation to trade. A final refer- 
ence may be made from any judgment given by the 
intendant [13] or council to the parliament of Paris. 



Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 45 

On the first establishment of the colony, nothing 
that could tend to render it flourishing or happy 
was unthought of. I shall mention one instance of 
the lenity and wisdom of the legislature; but the 
dishonesty of governors and intendants, as well as 
the corruption and relaxation of the government in 
France since that time, has totally perverted or sunk 
into oblivion regulations that were so evidently cal- 
culated for the happiness of the subject. The 
planter is considered as a Frenchman venturing his 
life, enduring a species of banishment, and under- 
going great hardships for the benefit of his country ; 
for which reason he has great indulgence shewn. 
Whenever by hurricanes, earthquakes, or bad sea- 
sons, the planters suffer, a stop is put to the rigor 
of exacting creditors. The few taxes which are 
levied are remitted, and even advances are made to 
repair their losses and set them forward. On the 
other hand, there can be no temptation to the planter 
to run fraudulently into debt, to the prejudice of 
the French merchant, as all debts, though con- 
tracted by the planters in France, are levied with 
great ease. The process, properly authenticated, is 
transmitted to America, and admitted as proof 
there, and levied on the planter's estate, of what- 
ever kind it may be. However, care is taken that 
whilst compulsory methods are used to make the 
planter do justice, the state shall not lose the in- 
dustry of a useful member of the community; the 
debt is always levied according to the substance of 
the debtor. Thus one party is not sacrificed to the 



46 Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 

other, they both subsist ; the creditor is satisfied, and 
the debtor not ruined. 

The paper money which circulated in this prov- 
ince has almost effected its ruin, owing to the mal- 
administration of Mons. Kerlerec, who was gov- 
ernor during the last war. As the sending money 
from France, at that time, to pay the civil and mili- 
tary officers, troops, and other exigencies of gov- 
ernment, would have been attended with too much 
risque, the governor and intendant were ordered to 
issue out paper money, which were [14] called 
Bons,^ being notes for small sums, payable in bills 
of exchange, drawn at three months sight on the 
treasury of France. These Bons were from ten sols 
to one hundred livres ; and whoever collected a cer- 
tain sum, as three or four hundred livres at least, 
was entitled to a bill of exchange in lieu of the Bons, 
which he paid to the treasurer of the province. The 
governor and intendant empowered the comman- 
dants and commissaries at our ports to issue out 
notes of the same kind, for provisions, public works, 
and Indian presents. Thus the debts contracted 
with the merchants and inhabitants during the war 
amounted to very large sums, and the abuses made 
of this great trust rendered the expences of the 
colony enormous. Mons. de Kerlerec, and some 



^Note by Pittman: The tenor of these Bons was as follows: 
No a la Nouvelle Orleans. 

Bon pour la somme de payable en lettres 

de change sur le tresor 



Sio-ned \ ^^^ Governor 
"^ \ and Intendant. 



Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 47 

other officers, took opportunities of negotiating bills 
by way of Jamaica and other English colonies, be- 
fore the peace was concluded: the amount of these 
bills was very considerable and was duly paid. The 
demands of money from Louisiana and expences of 
Canada so far exceeded all expectation, and the 
treasury of France being drained, the king, by an 
edict in 1759, stopped payment of this colony's bills, 
to the amount of seven millions of livres, on pre- 
tence of no authenticated vouchers, or accounts of 
the publick expences being arrived. In the latter 
end of the year 1763, Mons. Kerlerec was recalled, 
and Mons. de Rochemaure, the intendant, left the 
colony some time before, and died shortly after his 
arrival in France. Mons. D'Abbadie was sent out 
as director-general, and was invested with the pow- 
ers of both governor and intendant: he was in- 
structed to reform the abuses which had taken place 
in the publick offices, and to endeavour to restore 
tranquility to the inhabitants, who were almost en- 
gaged in a civil war, by entering into the disputes 
of their governor and intendant, which were first 
occasioned [15] by the arrival of two English flags 
of truce, during the war, loaded with dry goods, 
one of which was from Jamaica and the other from 
Rhode Island. Whilst Mons. de Kerlerec held a 
congress with the Creek and Chactaw Indians at 
Mobile, Mons. de Rochemaure seized the vessels, 
imprisoned the captains and crew, and lodged the 
cargoes in the king's store-houses. Mons. de Ker- 
lerec on his return to New Orleans, ordered the 



48 Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 



captains and sailors to be released, restored their 
vessels to them, and permitted them to sell the car- 
goes for the benefit of the owners. Many of the 
most respectable inhabitants and some officers re- 
monstrated against this proceeding, and represented 
the danger of admitting English subjects to trade 
in the time of war, who would become acquainted 
with the navigation of the river, and be enabled to 
give a true account of the then weak situation of 
the province, which would fall an easy prey to their 
enemies. The friends of Mons. Kerlerec, on the 
other hand, petitioned that the cargoes might be 
publickly sold, and the English protected; that the 
colony was in the greatest want of the goods 
brought by the flags of truce ; that it was an act of 
humanity in the English governors who had 
granted those commissions; that this was the only 
method by which they could be supplied with what 
they were in the greatest necessity for; and should 
he take harsh measures with these people, the col- 
ony must be totally excluded from all hopes of fu- 
ture assistance till a peace, of which there was not 
then the least prospect. But to return to the paper 
money: Mons. D'Abbadie called in a great quantity 
of the bills of exchange and Bons, depreciating their 
value seventy-five per cent, and issued out new 
paper money, signed by him, which he put on a par 
with specie ; as, for example, a Bon of five livres was 
equal to one dollar or piece of eight, and seventy 
livres of the old paper was only equal to one dollar. 



Pittman's Mtssisippi Settlements 49 

Thus the industrious planter was defrauded of 
three-fourths of his property. 

[16] Mons. D'Abbadie died in February 1765, 
since which the paper money issued by him has 
fallen twenty-five per cent, from its original value. 
On the death of Mons. D'Abbadie, Mons. Aubry, 
commandant of the troops, succeeded him as gov- 
ernor, and Mons. Foucault, commissaire ordonna- 
teur, as intendant. These gentlemen continued to 
act in their respective stations, notwithstanding the 
cession of the colony to the crown of Spain in 1764.^ 
Don Antonio D'Ulloa arrived at New Orleans 
about the middle of the year 1766, but refused to 
take the government of the colony on him, until he 
should have a sufficient armed force to establish his 
authority. In the beginning of the year 1767 two 
hundred Spanish soldiers were sent from the Ha- 
vanna, but these he did not think sufficient to enforce 
his commands in a country where the Spanish gov- 
ernment was held in the utmost abhorrence and de- 
testation; he sent about sixty of these troops to 
erect two forts, one opposite fort Bute, on the mouth 
of the Ibbeville, and the other on the west side of 
the Missisippi, opposite the Natches ; the remainder 
were sent in the autumn of 1767 to build a fort at 
the mouth of the river Missoury; but the comman- 
dant was forbid to interfere with the civil govern- 
ment of their settlements in the Illinois country, 
where Mons. De Saint Ange continues to command 



^The cession was made by a secret treaty of November 3, 1762, 
but official notice did not reach the colony until 1764. 
4 



^o Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 

with about twenty French soldiers. Don Antonio 
D'UUoa, who had already carried a high hand over 
the inhabitants, received some orders from his 
court, by which the commerce of the colony was 
greatly restricted, and which were so disagreeable 
to the colonists, that they revolted from the domin- 
ion of the crown of Spain; and the council, by an 
edict, inserted at the end of this work, obliged him 
and the principal Spanish officers to leave the prov- 
ince in November 1768, notwithstanding M. Au- 
bry's remonstrances and the protest he made 
against the edict of the council. 

Mons. de Sacier, one of the council, with two 
other gentlemen of the colony, was sent to France 
with this edict, and to implore [17] the protection 
of the king; they were imprisoned on their arrival, 
and have never been heard of since. 

During six months, which elapsed before news 
could be received from Europe, the unhappy col- 
onists vainly flattered themselves with hopes of 
being justified for the steps they had taken by the 
court of France. On the 23d of July, 1769, news 
was brought to New Orleans of the arrival of gen- 
eral O'Reily at the Balize, with eighteen transports, 
followed by ten more from the Havanna, having 
four thousand five hundred troops on board, and 
loaded with stores and ammunition. This intel- 
ligence threw the town into the greatest consterna- 
tion and perplexity, as, but a few days before, 
letters had arrived from Europe signifying that 
the colony was restored to France. 



Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 51 

In the general distraction that took place, the in- 
habitants of the town and the adjacent plantations 
determined to oppose the landing of the Spaniards, 
and sent couriers requiring the Germans and Acca- 
dian neutrals to join them. On the 24th an express 
arrived from general O'Reily, which was read by 
Mons. Aubry to the people in church; by this they 
were informed that he was sent by his catholic maj- 
esty to take possession of the colony, but not to dis- 
tress the inhabitants; and that when he should be 
in possession he would publish the remaining part 
of the orders he had in charge from the king his 
master; and should any attempt be made to oppose 
his landing, he was resolved not to depart until he 
could put his majesty's commands in execution. 

The people, dissatisfied with this ambiguous mes- 
sage, came to a resolution of sending three deputies 
to Mr. O'Reily, viz. Messrs. Grandmaison, town- 
major, La Friniere, attorney-general, and De Ma- 
zant, formerly captain in the colony's troops and a 
man of very considerable property ; these gentlemen 
acquainted him, that the inhabitants had come to a 
resolution of abandoning the province, [18] and de- 
manded no other favour than that he would grant 
them two years to remove themselves and effects. 
The general received the deputies with great polite- 
ness, but did not enter into the merits of their em- 
bassy, farther than assuring them that he would 
comply with every reasonable request of the col- 
onists; that he had the interest of their country 
much at heart, and nothing on his part should be 



52 Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 

wanting to promote it; that all past transactions 
should be buried in oblivion, and all who had of- 
fended should be forgiven: to this he added every 
thing that he imagined could flatter the expecta- 
tions of the people. On the ist of August the depu- 
ties returned, and made publick the kind reception 
the general had given them, and the fair promises 
he had made. The minds of the people were now 
greatly tranquilized, and those who had before de- 
termined suddenly to quit their plantations now re- 
solved to remain until their crops were off the 
ground. 

During the absence of the deputies, several of the 
principal inhabitants applied to captain-lieutenant 
Campbell, late of the thirty-fourth regiment, then 
at New Orleans, to acquaint the governor of West 
Florida that they were desirous of becoming British 
subjects, and to beg that he would send a proper 
person to tender them the oath of allegiance, and to 
distribute the lands, on the banks of the river be- 
twixt the Ibbeville and Natches, for them to settle 
on; and that they were to be joined by near two- 
thirds of the French inhabitants, and by German 
and Accadian families, of which six hundred men 
were capable of bearing arms. These would have 
proved a valuable acquisition to the province of 
West Florida, and it is rather unfortunate that at 
this time there were no troops in the forts of 
Natches and Ibbeville to give them protection. 

On the 1 6th of August general O'Reily arrived 
at New Orleans with one frigate and twenty-two 



Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 53 

transports, and came on shore the day following to 
reconnoitre the ground for disembarking, and [19] 
the grand parade for drawing up his troops ; he was 
attended by Mons. Aubry and the staff of the gar- 
rison; he returned on board soon after, and was 
saluted by the frigate and the garrison. Orders 
were given for the troops to disembark on the i8th, 
at four o'clock in the morning, by firing one gun 
from the frigate; stages being previously made to 
reach from the shore to the sides of the ships for 
the soldiers to pass over. 

On a signal being given all the troops began to 
move, and in less than ten minutes were formed on 
the bank of the river, and from thence marched to 
the grand parade, where they formed the square. 
The ships were dressed with the colours of different 
nations, and the shrouds and yards crouded with 
sailors. On the general's going on shore he was 
saluted by the frigate, and received four cheers 
from the sailors; and on his coming on the parade 
there was a general discharge of cannon and small 
arms from the garrison and militia, attended with 
musick and drums. Don Alex. O'Reily and Mons. 
Aubry, with their attendants, followed by a croud 
of inhabitants, went to that angle of the parade 
where the flag-staff stood. Mons. Aubry, as gov- 
ernor, opened his orders from his most christian 
majesty, to deliver up the town and island of New 
Orleans, and province of Louisiana, to Don Alex. 
O'Reily, in the name of his catholick majesty; and 
expressed his happiness and satisfaction in being 



54 Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 

succeeded in the command of that country by a man 
of his humanity and worth; to which general 
O'Reily answered, " I shall make it the rule of my 
future conduct in government, to imitate those wise 
and prudent maxims in administring justice by 
which you have gained the hearts of the people, 
even at the most critical juncture." The Spanish 
colours were now hoisted, and honoured by another 
general discharge of artillery and small arms from 
the garrison; his excellency and attendants went to 
church, and sung Te Deum, whilst the guards were 
relieving: after church was over, the parade was 
dismissed, and the soldiers went to the barracks 
appointed for them. [20] On the 19th of August 
the town militia was reviewed: from this day the 
time was passed in receiving and making visits 
until the 25th in the morning, when the inhabitants 
went to pay their respects to their new governor; 
as they entered the hall, he desired them to place 
themselves singly round the room, and holding a 
paper in his hand, containing the names of the per- 
sons principally concerned in the late insurrection, 
such as were present he begged to walk into the 
next room, where an officer and guard attended to 
take them into custody; such as were absent he 
sent for, to the number of thirteen, and confined 
them in separate apartments, some on board ship, 
others to guards and common prisons, where they 
were detained to take their trials for high treason ; 
their slaves and other effects were seized in the 
king's name. On the 27th a proclamation was pub- 



Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 55 

lished, ordering the inhabitants to take the oaths 
of allegiance; and an amnesty to all concerned in 
the late revolt, except those already in custody; 
and another was published prohibiting negroes 
from monopolizing provisions coming to market, 
or buying or selling without a written leave from 
their masters. Shortly after, other orders were 
given out, by which all the English subjects, prot- 
estants, and Jews of every nation, were enjoined 
to depart from the province of Louisiana, and all 
commerce prohibited, except with Old Spain and 
her islands, and neither of these having demand 
for the produce of Louisiana and their returns, if 
any trade should take place, could not be employed 
in the commerce of the Missisippi. 

General O'Reily made great professions of 
friendship to the governor of West Florida, and 
assured him, upon every occasion, of his wishes to 
live in harmony with his English neighbours. His 
words and actions widely differed; he endeavoured 
to tamper with the Indians settled on our terri- 
tories, and behaved with great inhospitality to- 
wards all English subjects who had occasion to go 
up the river Missisippi, and infringed the articles 
of peace, by sending a party of soldiers to cut the 
hawsers of an English vessel, called [21] the Sea 
Flower, that had made fast to the bank of the river 
above the town ; the order was obeyed, and the ves- 
sel narrowly escaped being lost. It is impossible 
for vessels to navigate upon the Missisippi, unless 
they are permitted to make fast to the shore, as 



56 Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 



has been explained in the foregoing part of this 
work; and if EngHsh vessels are prevented, they 
cannot be said to enjoy the free navigation of the 
river, conformable to the articles of the last peace. 

In October, great and solemn preparations were 
made for the trial of the prisoners charged with 
high treason, who continued to undergo a cruel 
and rigorous imprisonment until the 31st of this 
month. When they were brought before the high 
court of justice, as it was called, (it was more prop- 
erly a court martial, the general himself presiding, 
and the other members being mostly Spanish of- 
ficers) all the prisoners were found guilty of the 
charge exhibited against them; five were sentenced 
to be shot, and seven to be confined for ten years 
to the Moro castle at the Havanna. Those con- 
demned to death were executed the day following; 
their names, Mons. Lafriniere, king's attorney; 
Mons. De Marquis, formerly commandant of the 
Swiss companies at New Orleans, and knight of 
the order of St. Louis; Mons. De Noyant, captain 
of dragoons, son of the late king's lieutenant of 
Louisiana; Pierre Caresse and Petit, merchants. 
The names of those banished to the Moro, Mons. 
De Mazant, formerly captain in the colony troops; 
Mons. Garic, register of the council ; Messrs. Dous- 
set, Millet, sen. and jun. and Poupet, merchants. 

Mons. Foucault, the intendant, was sent prisoner 
to France. Mons. Villeroy,^ one of the persons 
first arrested, had embarked with his slaves and 

1 Villere. 



Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 57 

most valuable effects, designing to throw himself 
under the protection of the English; but being 
afterwards persuaded of the sincerity of the Span- 
ish general's promises, he landed with his slaves 
and effects, and returned to his plantation : he was 
so enraged at the treachery that had been used 
[22] towards him, and at the cruel treatment he 
received when in confinement, that he died raving 
mad. The fate of Mons. Lafrinier's daughter and 
only child is particularly lamentable;^ this young 
lady was married but some months before this 
dreadful event to Mons. De Noyant, who was hand- 
some in his person, and amiable in his disposition. 

It is impossible to reflect on this tragedy but with 
horror and detestation. When fraud or treachery 
are made use of to destroy an enemy, or punish the 
guilty, it disgraces a nation and the name of jus- 
tice. 

It is remarkable, that the king of Spain, in his 
acceptation of Louisiana, promises the inhabitants 
their original form of government, and to continue 
the French counsellors in his council : he also offers 
to receive all the troops employed by the king of 
France in that country into his service; but the 
soldiers finding that they were to receive no more 
pay than they had formerly been allowed, which is 
considerably less than the pay of Spanish troops, 
refused entering into that service to a man. 

I have entered into this long digression concern- 



^ In that she lost both father and husband at the same time. The 
name should be Lafreniere. 



58 Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 

ing the government of Louisiana, with a view of 
giving some idea of its present poHtical state. I 
shall now return to an account of the settlements. 

There are some plantations on the Bayouk of 
St. John, and on the road from thence to New Or- 
leans. The settlements of Gentilly are one mile 
from the Bayouk of St. John, on the side of a small 
creek, which also communicates with the lake Pon- 
chartrain. Cannes, Brule, Chapitoula, and the Ger- 
man settlements join each other, and are a continu- 
ation of well cultivated plantations of near forty 
miles from New Orleans, on each side of the river. 
At the German settlements,^ on the west side of the 
river, is a church [23] served by the capuchins; 
and a small stockaded fort in the center of the set- 
tlements on the east side of the river; an officer 
and twelve soldiers are kept there for the police of 
that quarter. This post was originally erected 
as an asylum for the inhabitants who first settled 
there, and were much molested by the Chactaws 
and Chickashaws, who in alliance carried on a war 
against the settlers on the Missisippi. Their entry 
into this part of the colony was very easy, as they 
went up a small creek, called Tigahoe,^ in canoes. 
The entrance of this creek, which is in the lake 
Ponchartrain, is defended by a small redoubt and a 
Serjeant's guard. 

Having now gone through the richest and most 

^ The so-called German coast was settled by Germans sent over 
by John Law for the purpose of occupying his grant upon the Ark- 
ansas River. 

2 Bayou Tigouiou. 



Pittman^s Missisippi Settlements 59 

cultivated plantations on the Missisippi, it is neces- 
sary to say something of their produce, which form 
the greatest part of the commerce of Louisiana. 
The different articles are indigo, cotton, rice, maiz, 
beans, myrtle wax-candles, and lumber. The in- 
digo of this country is much esteemed for its beau- 
tiful colour and good quality; the colour is brighter 
than that which is fabricated at St. Domingo. The 
cotton, though of a most perfect white, is of a very 
short staple, and is therefore not in great request. 
The maiz, different sorts of beans, rice, and myrtle 
candles, are articles in constant demand at St. Do- 
mingo. 

Some of the richest planters, since the year 1762, 
have begun the cultivation of sugar, and have 
erected mills for squeezing the canes; the sugar 
produced in this country is of a very fine quality, 
and some of the crops have been very large ; but no 
dependance can be had on this, as some years the 
winters are too cold, and kill the canes in the 
ground. 

In the autumn the planters employ their slaves 
in cutting down and squaring timber, for sawing 
into boards and scantling; the carriage of this tim- 
ber is very easy, for those who cut it at the back 
[24] of their plantations make a ditch, which is 
supplied with water from the back swamps, and by 
that means conduct their timber to the river side 
without labour ; others send their slaves up to the cy- 
press swamps, of which there are a great many be- 
twixt New Orleans and Pointe Coupee; there they 



6o Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 

make rafts of the timber they cut, and float them 
down to New Orleans. 

Many of the planters have saw-mills, which are 
worked by the waters of the Missisippi in the time 
of the floods, and then they are kept going night 
and day till the waters fall. The quantity of lum- 
ber sent from the Missisippi to the West India 
islands is prodigious, and it generally goes to a 
good market. 

About ten leagues from the fort at the German 
settlements are the villages of the Houmas and Ali- 
bamons. The former were once a considerable na- 
tion of Indians, they are reduced now to about forty 
warriors: the latter are about twenty families, 
being part of a nation which lived near fort Tou- 
louse,^ on the river Alibamons, and followed the 
French when they quitted that post in the year 
1762. One league further up is the Fourche de 
Chetimachas,^ near which is the village of a tribe 
of Indians of that name; they reckon about sixty 
warriors. Three leagues above this is the Conces- 
sion of Mons. Paris, a pleasant situation and good 
land; large herds of cattle are now kept there, be- 
longing to the inhabitants of Pointe Coupee. The 
new settlements of the Accadians are on both sides 
of the river, and reach from the Germans to within 
seven or eight miles of the river Ibbeville. These 

^Fort Toulouse was established by Bienville in 1714 at the point 
where the Coosa and Tallapoosa unite to form the Alabama. 
Abandoned by the French in 1762, it was occupied by United States 
troops and named Fort Jackson, just one hundred years after its 
original establishment. 

2La Fourche. 



Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 6i 

are the remainder of the famiHes which were sent 
by general Lawrence from Nova Scotia to our 
southern provinces; where, by their industry, they 
did and might have continued to Hve very happy, 
but that they could not publickly enjoy the Roman 
Catholic religion, to which they are greatly big- 
otted. They took the earliest opportunity, after 
the peace, of transporting themselves to St. Do- 
mingo, [25] where the climate disagreed with 
them so much, that they in a few months lost near 
half their numbers; the remainder, few only ex- 
cepted, were, in the latter end of the year 1763, 
removed to New Orleans, at the expence of the king 
of France. There are about three hundred families 
of this unfortunate people settled in different parts 
of Louisiana. 



RIVER IBBEVILLE 

We now come to the river Ibbeville, the south 
boundary of West Florida, and of the EngHsh pos- 
sessions on the river Missisippi. The junction of 
the Ibbeville with the Missisippi is thirty-two 
leagues from New Orleans, sixty leagues from the 
Balize, and ninety leagues from Pensacola, by the 
way of the lakes. The post at the mouth of the 
river Ibbeville, on the banks of the Missisippi, has 
ever struck me, from its situation, as of the great- 
est consequence to the commerce of West Florida; 
for it may with reason be supposed, that the inhab- 
itants and traders who reside at Pointe Coupee, at 
Natchitoches, Attacappa, Arcansas, the Illinois, 
and the post of St. Vincent's on the Ouabache, 
would rather trade at this place than at New Or- 
leans, if they could have as good returns for their 
peltry and the produce of their country; for it 
makes a difference of ten days in their voyage, 
which is no inconsiderable saving of labour, money, 
and time. The goods these people take in return 
for their peltry, furs, tobacco, tallow, and bear's 
oil, are, spirituous liquors, grocery, dry goods of 
all kinds, and all the articles necessary for their 
commerce with the savages. The only difficulty 
that opposes itself to this necessary settlement is 
the want of a navigation through the river Ibbe- 

62 



Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 63 

ville; so that vessels might carry on a constant in- 
tercourse betwixt this place and Pensacola, with- 
out going up the Missisippi, which is a tedious nav- 
igation. The better to shew the facility of accom- 
plishing this, I shall here insert a description of the 
passage from lake Ponchartrain to the Missisippi, 
and directions necessary to be observed in that nav- 
igation. The coast of West Florida, from Pensa- 
cola to lake Ponchartrain, is so well known that it 
is not necessary to say any thing on that head. The 
description of the river Ibbeville, &c. was a report 
transmitted with plans and draughts, in the year 
1765, to his excellency general Gage. 



DESCRIPTION OF MASSIAC, PART OF THE 

RIVER AMIT, AND THE RIVER 

IBBEVILLE 

Before I begin the description and directions, it 
is necessary I should mention some errors which 
have subsisted in all geographical accounts hitherto 
given of that part of the country, which I have ex- 
amined; these I will endeavour to explain. The 
names Massiac, Manchaque, Ascantia, Amit, and 
Ibbeville, have been so confounded, that it is with 
difficulty a stranger can know what part of the 
country to apply one or other of them to ; and these 
errors still subsist with the French, so that when 
this passage is talked of even amongst themselves 
they confound one another, and he who would speak 
of that part next the Missisippi, is thought by an- 
other to have said something of the communication 
betwixt the lakes Ponchartrain and Maurepas. In 
order to avoid the same mistakes, it is proper these 
names should be distinctly separated; the way I 
think they should be understood is this : The pas- 
sage from lake Ponchartrain to lake Maurepas 
should be called the Massiac, and the two channels 
be distinguished, by one being called the S. W. and 
the other the N. W. The Amit should carry its 
name as far as its current runs, which is from its 
source, near Natches, to where it empties itself into 

64 



Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 65 

lake Maurepas, which is seventy leagues. The Ib- 
beville I cannot understand to be any thing more 
[28] than a small creek, which is supplied with 
water by the Missisippi and Amit.^ From March 
to September the former generally affords water 
enough to make a navigation through; the rest of 
the year its whole supply is from the latter, and 
that only for six leagues and a half up. By this 
rule I shall go on with the description and direc- 
tions, which are as follow. Off the pass at Mas- 
siac, next to the lake of Ponchartrain, is found 
three fathoms of water ; and there are not less steer- 
ing W. for the center of the pass, which when en- 
tered there is four or five fathoms, keeping mid- 
channel : this depth of water will be carried all the 
way to lake Maurepas. Two miles and a half up 
this channel is the point of an island, which is 
formed by two channels; the entrance of the great 
channel, called by the French Grand Massiac, lies 
N. W. and the little one, which they call Le Petit 
Massiac, N. W. by N. The great channel is the 
best, although the depth of water is the same in 
both; but as the shoals do not run so far off the 
points, and as the turnings are not so great, nor so 
many, the distance is consequently less; for these 
reasons I should recommend the great channel for 
our constant navigation. However advantageous 
it may appear at first sight to have a post on the 

^ These names remain as Pittman applied them, except that the 
Iberville is now Bayou Manchac. Ascantia was its earlier Indian 
name. It was partly filled up during the war of 1812. The modern 
form of the name of the channels connecting Lakes Maurepas and 
Pontchartrain is Pass Manchac. 



66 Pittmans Missisippi Settlements 

east end of the island, it would answer no purpose, 
as the savages go frequently into lake Maurepas 
from lake Ponchartrain, by the river Tanchipao;^ 
which for canoes and small boats is equally as good 
a navigation, because about three leagues up a 
branch of the Nitabani^ empties itself into that 
river, and which is the communication from Tan- 
chipao to lake Maurepas. The opening of the lake 
Maurepas is about seven miles from the east point 
of the island; here it is necessary to keep near the 
island, as a shoal bank runs off a point that lies 
south about one mile and a half from the pass. 
Steering by this direction, there will not be found 
less than seven feet water on the bar, and never 
less than eight feet going through the lake. The 
mouth of the river Amit bears west southerly; by 
keeping near the north shore we do not lessen the 
water, but come at once into four fathoms; but go 
as we please, we cannot find less than five feet. 
[29] The mouth of this river is remarkable from 
being embayed, and from a number of trees which 
stand off the land in the lake and are almost cov- 
ered with water. The land is overflowed when the 
waters are high, about one foot and a half, as ap- 
pears by the marks on the trees, and continues so 
near a league up the river, where there is a spot of 
land which appears to be never covered: all such 
spots I have shown in the annexed draught.^ But 
this is an observation which may be made of the 

^ Tangipahoa. 

2 Natalbany. 

3 See this draught at end of volume. 



Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 67 

country throughout; that the lands grow lower as 
we advance in the woods, and at three and four 
hundred yards back from the river we never fail 
meeting with bogs and swamps. As the land is not 
much overflowed at the mouth, it would be no dif- 
ficult matter to make a bank for the security of a 
small post there; and if it should be ever thought 
necessary, materials are ready; there being shells, 
with which lime may be made, and very fine tim- 
ber, such as cypress and elm. As I have been very 
careful in making the draught, and marking every 
little river that empties itself into this, I shall say 
nothing of them, only that unless this draught is 
followed, or a pilot taken, mistakes may be made by 
going up one of them, instead of the river to be 
pursued. The nearer we approach the junction of 
the Amit with the Ibbeville the current becomes 
stronger. When I went up, in the month of March, 
I found within about three leagues of that place a 
current running at the rate of three miles an hour, 
though at the entrance at lake Maurepas it was 
scarcely perceptible. From the mouth of the Amit 
to the junction of the Ibbeville several trees are 
fallen down, which should be removed, otherwise 
the navigation is continually liable to interruptions 
by the logs floating down, and being intercepted by 
them, which in a verv little time would form a bar- 
ricado quite across, such as' there was when I went 
up, and which was cleared by ten negroes sent 
down for that purpose, and my detachment. The 
depth of water from lake Maurepas to the Ibbeville 



68 Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 



is from four to nine fathoms, and the distance four- 
teen leagues : here it is necessary to strike the masts 
when the waters are high, as the branches of the 
trees hang very low, and [30] intervene so that in 
some parts they form an arbour over the river. 
Four leagues further up the lands are lower than 
in any other part of the country, the marks of the 
water on the trees being ten feet above the land. 
At irregular distances, as from one to three hun- 
dred yards on each side of the river, there are high 
lands overgrown with canes, and this place is called 
Tagoulafay; here are a number of small rivulets 
which run into the river ; one league higher is Ana- 
tamaha, which, in the Indian language, signifies the 
fish-place: it is properly called, for they abound 
here all the year, which accounts for the vast num- 
ber of crocodiles that are continually on the banks 
of this river. Sloops and schooners may come as 
far as this place when the waters are at the lowest, 
here never being less than twelve feet water; and 
at this time there is an eddy from the river Amit 
which sets to the westward. From hence to the 
Missisippi I think the trees should be cut down 
forty feet back from the river side, that a road 
might be made for carriages when the waters are 
low, at which time the bed of the river is dry from 
the Missisippi; when the waters are high it will 
still be necessary for the navigation, as vessels may 
be tracked up by horses or men to the Missisippi, 
in the same manner as lighters in England. The 
river is too deep for setting conveniently with poles. 



Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 69 

and too narrow for rowing; and the vast strength 
of the current, at the time of the floods, without 
there should be room for the oars, would drive the 
batteaux into the woods, and it would be a difficult 
matter to find the way back to the river. My bat- 
teau went about one mile above Anatamaha, but I 
could not get her any higher, although there was 
not less than four and five feet water all the way 
to the Missisippi, which is more than three leagues 
distance (including the turnings of the river), and 
when the waters are up there will be from eleven 
to eighteen feet water. At two leagues to the west- 
ward of Anatamaha the land is never covered 
above one foot, which, when secured from the inun- 
dations of the river by a bank being thrown up, will 
be as good as any in Louisiana, and will yield every 
produce natural to the climate. 

[31] More than six miles of the passage of the 
river Ibbeville is choaked up by wood, which has 
been drawn in by the eddy from the Missisippi at 
the annual floods. The river, for six miles below 
its entrance, is not in general above fifty feet wide ; 
many large trees had fallen across the river, which 
stopped the logs that were floating down, and so 
formed a barricado. In the beginning of the year 
1764, captain-lieutenant Campbell, late of the thirty- 
fourth regiment, undertook to clear the river, and 
make it navigable; and by order of major Farmer 
(who at that time commanded in West Florida) 
hired upwards of fifty negroes for that purpose. 
In the month of October, when the bed of the river 



70 Pittmans Missisippi Settlements 

was dry, they cut the trees which had fallen across 
into short logs, and cleared a path-way on the side 
of the river about eight miles down, throwing the 
canes and all the rubbish into it; expecting that 
when the Missisippi should rise it would carry 
all before it. In December captain Campbell re- 
ported that he had made the river perfectly navi- 
gable. The negroes had unfortunately begun to 
cut the logs next the Missisippi, and had not cleared 
the embarrassments that were on the lower parts 
of the river, which, when the floods came on, inter- 
cepted such logs as floated down, and made the 
river in a worse condition than ever. A post was 
established in the spring following, and a detach- 
ment of thirty soldiers of the thirty-fourth regi- 
ment, with officers, and an engineer; they built 
some huts to lodge themselves, provisions, stores, 
and Indian presents; and they continued to work 
at the river, but to as little purpose as the negroes 
had done before. In July, the thirty-fourth regi- 
ment being on their way to the Illinois, major 
Farmer took off the detachment, leaving the en- 
gineer, and artillery officer, and three or four artifi- 
cers, (most of whom were in a sickly state) and 
the stores, to the mercy of the neighbouring Indi- 
ans ; who, within a few days after the departure of 
the regiment, pillaged the post, and the poor de- 
fenceless people were happy to escape with their 
lives to New Orleans, leaving the artillery and such 
things as the Indians [32] could not destroy behind 
them. In the month of December, 1766, governor 



Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 71 

Johnstone sent a detachment of the Scots fusileers, 
who were lately arrived in West Florida, to re- 
possess that post ; they built a small stockaded fort, 
which continued to be garrisoned by the troops 
from Pensacola in the year 1768, when I left that 
place. I have since heard that the garrisons at this 
post and Natches are withdrawn. 



POINTE COUPEE 

The settlements at Pointe Coupee commence 
about ten leagues from the river Ibbeville; they 
extend twenty miles on the west side of the Mis- 
sisippi ; and there are some plantations back on the 
side of (what is generally called) la fausse riviere, 
thro' which the Missisippi passed about sixty years 
ago; making the shape of a crescent, and made a 
difference to the voyager of near eight leagues. It 
is said that about that time two Canadians were 
descending the river, but were stopped at the be- 
ginning of this crescent by the roughness of the 
waves, occasioned by the wind blowing very hard 
against the current. One of these travellers chose 
to amuse himself with his gun until the wind should 
abate: and that he might not lose his way in the 
woods, he determined to follow a little brook, which 
had been made by the inundations of the river; he 
had gone but a small distance, when he again found 
himself by the side of the river, and saw the white 
cliffs before him; which he knew by the course of 
the Missisippi to be eight leagues from the place 
where he left his companion; to whom he imme- 
diately returned, and acquainted him with this dis- 
covery. They agreed to endeavour to get their 
canoe across, as there was about a foot water in 
the brook, which had a little slope towards the 

72 



Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 73 

lower part of the river; they got their canoe into 
the brook, and cut away the roots of trees and 
bushes that obstructed its passage, and the waters 
of the Missisippi entering seconded their endeav- 
ours, so that in a short time they effected their pur- 
pose. It is reported that in less than six years after 
the Missisippi passed entirely through this chan- 
nel, leaving its former bed quite dry, and which is 
now difficult to trace, being mostly filled up, and 
overgrown with trees. 

[34] The fort, which is a quadrangle with four 
bastions, is built with stockades, and contains 
a very handsome house for the commanding officer, 
good barracks for the soldiers, store-houses, and a 
prison. The commanding officer is chosen from 
one of the eldest captains of the colony ; the author- 
ity of the governor is delegated to him, and the 
storekeeper is the representative of the intendant. 
There are seldom more than twelve soldiers at this 
place, who are for no other purpose than to pre- 
serve good order. The fort is situated on the side 
of the Missisippi, about six miles above the lowest 
plantation. The church is very near the fort, and 
is served by a capuchin; there are three companies 
of militia in this canton, chosen from the white in- 
habitants, who amount to about two thousand of 
all ages and sexes, and about seven thousand 
slaves. They cultivate tobacco and indigo, raise 
vast quantities of poultry, which they send to the 
market of New Orleans, and furnish to the ship- 
ping; they square a great deal of timber and make 



74 Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 

staves, which they send down in rafts to New Or- 
leans. The inhabitants cultivated maize and other 
provisions on the east side of the river; but after 
the peace, when that side of the Missisippi was 
ceded to the English, such as had houses there, who 
were but few, removed to the west side, which re- 
mained to the French. 



TONICAS 

On the east side of the river, and about two miles 
above the last plantation of Pointe Coupee, is the 
village of the Tonicas, formerly a numerous nation 
of Indians; but their constant intercourse with the 
French, and immoderate use of spirituous liquors, 
has reduced them to about thirty warriors. They 
attacked the 226. regiment, commanded by major 
Loftus, when on their way to take possession of the 
Illinois, on the 20th of March, 1764, at the Roche 
de Davion ;^ they killed five men and wounded four, 
that were in two canoes which went a-head of the 
convoy : although they fired on the other boats they 
did no other damage, but prevented the regiment 
proceeding on its enterprize. The soldiers did not 
land, as their enemies were concealed in the wood, 
and their numbers unknown; they occupied both 
sides of the river, and the current in the middle of 
the stream run at the rate of five miles an hour: 
we have been very credibly informed that some of 
the French of Pointe Coupee, and their slaves, as- 
sisted the Tonicas in this attack. 



^ Davion's Rock is just below the present site of Fort Adams 
Landing. The mission of Father Antoine Davion, abandoned in 
1708, was at this point. The modern village of Fort Adams is about 
a mile from the river. 



75 



PELOUSAS 

The small river of Pelousas^ is ten leagues above 
the settlements of Pointe Coupee, and one league 
below the mouth of the river Rouge ; it receives its 
name from the natives, and its waters from a lake 
which lies about forty leagues S. W. of the place 
where it empties itself into the Missisippi. Twenty- 
five leagues up this river is a settlement, known by 
the name of Pelousas and Attacappa; it is formed 
by about sixty families of Accadians, discharged 
soldiers, and inhabitants from fort Toulouse, on 
the river Alibamons, who have a few slaves. They 
raise tobacco, maize, and wheat; the latter only for 
their own consumption. They have large herds of 
cattle, and follow the Indian commerce. They have 
a small church, and a capuchin missionary resides 
with them. This settlement was made under the 
direction of Mons. D'Abbadie, in the year 1763, 
and was governed by a French officer, named Pel- 
rin, till the year 1767, when the inhabitants, who 
had been oppressed by the tyranny, which has been 
always exerted by officers of that nation command- 
ing out-posts, complained to Don Antonio D'Ulloa, 

^The Opelousas or Apelousas is now the Atchafalaya River. As 
a result of a change in the course of the Mississippi, the At- 
chafalaya no longer joins the main channel of the Mississippi. 
The name Opelousas is now applied to a tributary of the At- 
chafalaya. For a description of the Opelousas and Attacapa Indians 
see Sibley's " Historical Sketches " in State Papers, Indian Affairs, 
vol. i, p. 721. 

76 



Pittman's Missisippi Settlements J J 

and Mons. Aubry accusing him also of sacrilege, 
he having forcibly taken possession of the plate 
destined to the use of the altar, and used it at his 
own table, under pretence of keeping it in security. 
This worked his ruin more effectually than his ill 
treatment of the inhabitants, and he was threat- 
ened with excommunication; however he was pun- 
ished by undergoing severe penances enjoined by 
the priests, and rendered incapable, by the sentence 
of a court-martial of French officers, of any em- 
ployment military or civil. The government of this 
settlement was afterwards vested in a magistrate 
to be chosen annually by the inhabitants from 
amongst themselves. One company of militia was 
also raised for the defence of the establishment, 
and the officers receive pay from the Spanish gov- 
ernment. 



NATCHES 

Thirty-four leagues from the river Rouge is the 
Natches, which, from its situation and soil, is the 
finest and most fertile part of West Florida. The 
fort is about six hundred and seventy yards from 
the river's side. The road to it is very bad, on ac- 
count of a steep high ground which is at a small 
distance from the landing-place, very difficult to 
ascend, and almost impracticable for carriages; a 
small distance from this high land is a hill, on the 
summit of which stands the fort, and the road be- 
comes much better, ascending with a gradual slope. 
The trouble of going up is recompensed by the 
sight of a most delightful country of great extent, 
the prospect of which is beautifully varied by a 
number of little hills and fine meadows, separated 
by small copses, the trees of which are mostly wal- 
nut and oak. The country is well watered, hops 
grow wild, and all kinds of European fruits come to 
great perfection. The fences of many of the gar- 
dens made by the French still remain, and several 
fruit-trees, mostly figs, peaches, and wild cherries. 
The French always esteemed the tobacco produced 
here, as preferable to any cultivated in other parts 
of America. This country was once famous for its 
inhabitants, who from their great numbers, and 
the state of society they lived in, were considered 

78 



Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 79 

as the most civilized Indians on the continent of 
America. They Hved some years in great friend- 
ship with the French, whom they permitted to 
settle on their lands, and to whom they rendered 
every service in their power. Their hospitality was 
repaid with ingratitude. The French debauched, 
and sometimes ravished the women, and tyrannized 
over the men; every day brought them some new 
disgrace. They determined to get rid of their op- 
pressors, and on the eve of St. Andrew, 1729, they 
surprised the fort, and put the whole garrison to 
death; at the same time they made [38] a massacre 
of the inhabitants, in which upwards of five hun- 
dred were killed, some of the women and children 
they made prisoners; very few of either sex es- 
caped. The whole colony armed to revenge their 
slaughtered countrymen, and they had several 
skirmishes with the Natches, in which the success 
was various. In 1730 Mons. De Perrier de Sal- 
vert, brother to the governor, arrived from France, 
with the rank of lieutenant-general in Louisiana, 
and five hundred regular troops, who joined the 
troops and militia of the colony. This army, amount- 
ing to fifteen hundred men, went, under the com- 
mand of the two brothers, to attack the nation of 
Natches; who, with their chiefs, determined to de- 
fend themselves in the fort^ they had built near a 

^ This location corresponds with the identification of the place 
given in Claiborne's Mississippi. The fort was in Catahoula Parish, 
Louisiana, at the south end of a small lake which forms part of 
the eastern boundary of Sicily Island. On the fate of the Natchez, 
see James Mooney's article in the American Anthropologist, new 
series, vol. i, p. 510. 



8o Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 

lake which communicates with the Bayouk Dar- 
gent, lying west of the Natches, and north of the 
river Rouge. They invested this fort, and the In- 
dians made a very resolute and vigorous sally on 
them, but were repulsed, after a considerable loss 
on both sides. The French, having brought two or 
three mortars, threw some shells into the fort; 
which making a havock amongst their women and 
children, so terrified the Indians, unused to this 
sort of war, that they surrendered at discretion, 
and were conducted to New Orleans, except a few 
who had escaped to the Chickashaws, with their 
hunters, who were providing provisions for their 
garrison. Some of the unfortunate prisoners were 
burnt at New Orleans, and the rest were sent as 
slaves to the West India islands; some of whom, 
shewing their resentment by upbraiding the au- 
thors of their misery, were thrown into the sea. 
Nothing now remains of this nation but their name, 
by which their country continues to be called. 

When I made the survey of fort Rosalia, which 
was in the month of August, I observed that the 
Missisippi had fallen thirty-six feet. The breadth 
of the river at this place is exactly eighteen hun- 
dred and seventy feet, and the fort stands one hun- 
dred and eighty feet above the surface of the water. 
It is an irregular pentagon, without bastions, and 
is built of plank of five inches thick; the buildings 
within the fort are a store-house, a house for the 
officers, a barrack [39] for the soldiers, and a 
guard-house. These buildings are made of framed 



Pittmans Missisippi Settlements 8 1 

timber, filled up with mud and barbe Espagnole, (a 
kind of moss, which grows in great abundance on 
all the trees in Louisiana) and in this country that 
manner of building houses is very common. The 
barbe Espagnole (which much resembles a black 
curly beard) is also made use of for stuffing mat- 
tresses. 

The ditch is partly made and partly natural; the 
bottom is in most places nineteen feet from the top 
of the rampart, and in many twelve and thirteen 
from the top of the counterscarp ; on the north side 
of the fort there is no ditch at all, but it is fenced 
with pickets, to prevent an enemy getting under 
the cover of the counterscarp or into the ditch. The 
rampart is nearly the same height above the pick- 
ets as it is in other parts above the bottom of the 
ditch. The fort^ received the name of Rosalia in 
honour to Mad. la duchesse de Ponchartrain, whose 
husband was minister of France when it was built. 



^It is said that traces of the fort were still to be seen in the 
city of Natchez in 1893. Wallace, Illinois and Louisiana, p. 289. 



POST OF ARCANSAS 

The fort is situated three leagues up the river 
Arcansas, and is built with stockades, in a quad- 
rangular form; the sides of the exterior polygon 
are about one hundred and eighty feet, and one 
three pounder is mounted in the flanks and faces 
of each bastion. The buildings within the fort are, 
a barrack with three rooms for the soldiers, com- 
manding officer's house, a powder magazine, and 
a magazine for provision, and an apartment for 
the commissary, all which are in a ruinous condi- 
tion. The fort stands about two hundred yards 
from the water-side, and is garrisoned by a cap- 
tain, a lieutenant, and thirty French soldiers, in- 
cluding Serjeants and corporals. There are eight 
houses without the fort, occupied by as many fam- 
ilies, who have cleared the land about nine hundred 
yards in depth; but on account of the sandiness of 
the soil, and the lowness of the situation, which 
makes it subject to be overflowed, they do not raise 
their necessary provisions. These people subsist 
mostly by hunting, and every season send to New 
Orleans great quantities of bear's oil, tallow, salted 
buffaloe meat, and a few skins. The Arcansas or 
Quapas Indians live three leagues above the fort, 
on the side of the river ; they are divided into three 
villages, over each of which presides a chief, and a 

82 



Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 83 

great chief over all ; they amount in all to about six 
hundred warriors; they are reckoned amongst the 
bravest of the southern Indians; they hunt little 
more than for their common subsistence, and are 
generally at war with the nations to the westward 
of them, as far as the river Bravo, and they bring 
in very frequently young prisoners and horses from 
the Cadodaquias, Paneise, Podoquias,^ &c. of which 
they dispose to the best advantage. 

The river Arcansas is generally esteemed to be 
in the most moderate climate of any part of Louis- 
iana, and the lands six leagues [41] up the river 
are reckoned as fertile. It was here that the fa- 
mous Mr. Laws had his Concession, which was a 
tract of four leagues square; when he failed, the 
Germans, whom he settled in this country, left it, 
being too remote. They, on their petition, had 
lands granted them ten leagues above New Or- 
leans, and which their posterity at present possess. 

There are no more settlements or posts near the 
banks of the Missisippi, until we come to Cascas- 
quias, which is three hundred and seventy leagues 
from the sea, but generally called four hundred; it 
lies in the latitude 37° 43' north, and is the first 
village in the country of the Illinois. 

^ Caddoes, Pawnees, and Padoucas. 



CASCASQUIAS 

The village of Notre Dame de Cascasquias is by 
far the most considerable settlement in the country 
of the Illinois, as well from its number of inhab- 
itants, as from its advantageous situation ; it stands 
on the side of a small river, which is about eighty 
yards across; its source lies north-east, about sixty 
leagues from the village, and fifteen leagues east of 
the remarkable rock of Peorya,^ and it empties it- 
self with a gentle current into the Missisippi, near 
two leagues below the village.^ This river is a 
secure port for large batteaux, which can lie so 
close to its bank as to load and unload without the 
least trouble; and at all seasons of the year there is 
water enough for them to come up. It must be ob- 
served here, that it is extremely dangerous for bat- 
teaux or boats to remain in the Missisippi, on ac- 
count of the bank falling in, and the vast number 
of logs and trees which are sent down, with a vio- 
lent force, by the rapidity of the current, as also on 
account of the heavy gales of wind to which this 

^Note by Pittman: There is in a sort of nich in this rock a figure 
that bears some resemblance to a man ; the Indians who pass by pay 
their adorations to it, imagining it something supernatural, and that 
it has an influence over their fortunes. 

2 Kaskaskia was the capital of Illinois until the admission of the 
state in 1819. After that it gradually declined in importance. In 
1881 the Mississippi cut a channel through to the Kaskaskia River, 
leaving the larger part of the village upon an island. In the spring 
of 1899 the last of the island was swept away by the river. The 
number of inhabitants remaining in 1900 was 177. 

84 



Pittman^s Missisippi Settlements 85 

climate is subject. Another great advantage that 
Cascasquias receives from its river is the faciUty 
with which mills for corn and planks may be 
erected on it: Mons. Paget was the first who in- 
troduced water-mills in this country, and he con- 
structed a very fine one on the river Cascasquias, 
which was both for grinding corn and sawing 
boards ; it lies about one mile from the village. The 
mill proved fatal to him, being killed as he was 
working in it, with two negroes, by a party of the 
Cherokees, in the year 1764. The principal build- 
ings are, the church and Jesuits house, which has a 
small chapel adjoining to it; these, as well as some 
other houses in the village, are built [43] of stone, 
and, considering this part of the world, make a very 
good appearance. The Jesuits plantation consisted 
of two hundred and forty arpens of cultivated land, 
a very good stock of cattle, and a brewery; which 
was sold by the French commandant, after the 
country was ceded to the English, for the crown, 
in consequence of the suppression of the order. 
Mons. Beauvais was the purchaser, who is the rich- 
est of the English subjects in this country; he 
keeps eighty slaves; he furnished eighty-six thou- 
sand weight of flour to the king's magazine, which 
was only a part of the harvest he reaped in one 
year. Sixty-five families reside in this village, be- 
sides merchants, other casual people, and slaves. 
The fort, which was burnt down in October, 1766, 
stood on the summit of a high rock opposite the 
village, and on the other side of the river; it was 



86 Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 

an oblongular quadrangle, of which the exterior 
polygon measured two hundred and ninety by two 
hundred and fifty-one feet; it was built of very 
thick squared timber, and dove-tailed at the angles.^ 
An officer and twenty soldiers are quartered in the 
village. The officer governs the inhabitants, under 
the direction of the commandant at fort Chartres. 
Here are also two companies of militia. 

^This was Fort Gage. The "fort" captured by George Rogers 
Clark was undoubtedly the Jesuit house, described by Pittman. 
See Poole in Winsor's America, vi. pp. 719-22 note, and Beckwith 
in the Collections of the Illinois State Historical Library, vol. i. 



LA PRAIRE DE ROCHES 

La Prairie de Roches^ is about seventeen miles 
from Cascasquias ; it is a small village, consisting of 
twelve dwelling-houses, all which are inhabited by 
as many families; here is a little chapel, formerly 
a chapel of ease to the church at Fort de Chartres. 
The inhabitants here are very industrious, and 
raise a great deal of corn and every kind of stock. 
This village is two miles from Fort Chartres; it 
takes its name from its situation, being built under 
a rock that runs parallel with the river Missisippi 
at a league distance, for forty leagues up. Here is 
a company of militia, the captain of which reg- 
ulates the police of the village. 

^The population of the village of Prairie du Rocher as returned 
by the census of 1900 was 347. The relative location of the French 
villages is best shown in Hutchins's map, first printed in his 
Topographical Description of Virginia (London, 1778), and fre- 
quently reprinted. 



87 



FORT CHARTRES 

Fort Chartres when it belonged to France was 
the seat of government of the IlHnois; the head 
quarters of the Enghsh commanding officer is now 
here, who is, in fact, the arbitrary governor of 
this country. The fort is an irregular quadrangle, 
the sides of the exterior polygon are four hundred 
and ninety feet; it is built of stone and plastered 
over, and is only designed as a defence against the 
Indians, the walls being two feet two inches thick, 
and pierced with loop-holes at regular distances, 
and with two port-holes for cannon in the faces, 
and two in the flanks of each bastion ; the ditch has 
never been finished; the entrance to the fort is 
through a very handsome rustic gate: within the 
wall is a small banquette, raised three feet, for the 
men to stand on when they fire through the loop- 
holes. The buildings within the fort are, the com- 
mandant's and commissary's houses, the magazine 
of stores, corps de garde, and two barracks; these 
occupy the square. Within the gorges of the bas- 
tions are, a powder magazine, a bakehouse, a prison, 
in the lower floor of which are four dungeons, 
and in the upper two rooms, and an out-house be- 
longing to the commandant. The commandant's 
house is thirty-two yards long, and ten broad; it 
contains a kitchen, a dining-room, a bed-chamber, 

88 



Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 89 

one small room, five closets for servants, and a 
cellar. The commissary's house (now occupied by- 
officers) is built in the same line as this, its propor- 
tions and distribution of apartments are the same. 
Opposite these are the store-house and guard-house, 
they are each thirty yards long and eight broad; 
the former consists of two large store-rooms (under 
which is a large vaulted cellar) and a large room, 
a bed-chamber, and a closet for the store-keeper; 
the latter, of a soldier's and officer's guard-rooms, 
a chapel, a bed-chamber and closet for the chaplain, 
and an artillery store-room. The lines of [46] 
barracks have never been finished; they at present 
consist of two rooms each, for officers, and three 
rooms for soldiers; they are good spacious rooms 
of twenty-two feet square, and have betwixt them 
a small passage. There are fine spacious lofts over 
each building which reach from end to end; these 
are made use of to lodge regimental stores, work- 
ing and intrenching tools, &c. It is generally al- 
lowed that this is the most commodious and best 
built fort in North America. The bank of the 
Missisippi, next the fort, is continually falling in, 
being worn away by the current, which has been 
turned from its course by a sand-bank, now en- 
creased to a considerable island covered with wil- 
lows: many experiments have been tried to stop 
this growing evil, but to no purpose. When the 
fort was began in the year 1756, it was a good half 
mile from the water-side; in the year 1766 it was 
but eighty paces; eight years ago the river was 



90 Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 

fordable to the island, the channel is now forty feet 
deep/ In the year 1764 there were about forty 
families in the village near the fort, and a parish 
church, served by a Franciscan friar, dedicated to 
St. Anne. In the following year, when the English 
took possession of the country, they abandoned their 
houses, except three or four poor families, and set- 
tled at the villages on the west side of the Missisippi, 
chusing to continue under the French government. 

^ In 1772 a part of the wall of Fort Chartres was undermined 
by the Mississippi and the fort was abandoned by the British. 
After that the river shifted to the west, so that the ruins are now 
a mile from the bank of the stream. The powder magazine and one 
angle of the outer wall still remain. See Wallace in the Transac- 
tions of the Illinois Historical Society for 1903. The story of the 
fort is best told by E. C. Mason in a paper published in 1881 in 
the Fergus Historical Series and reprinted since his death in 
Chapters from Illinois History (Chicago, 1901). 



SAINT PHILIPPE 

Saint Philippe is a small village about five miles 
from Fort Chartres, in the road to Kaoquias ; there 
are about sixteen houses and a small church stand- 
ing; all the inhabitants, except the captain of mil- 
itia, deserted it in 1765,^ and went to the French 
side : the captain of militia has about twenty slaves, 
a good stock of cattle, and a water-mill for corn and 
planks. This village stands in a very fine meadow, 
about one mile from the Missisippi. 

^Hutchins, who was at St. Philip a little later than Pittman, says 
that two or three families remained. The village soon afterward 
disappeared altogether. 



91 



KAOQUIAS 

The village of Sainte Famille de Kaoquias^ is 
generally reckoned fifteen leagues from Fort 
Chartres, and six leagues below the mouth of the 
river Missoury; it stands near the side of the Mis- 
sisippi, and is masked from the river by an island 
of two leagues long; the village is opposite the 
center of this island ; it is long and straggling, being 
three quarters of a mile from one end to the other ; 
it contains forty-five dwelling-houses, and a church 
near its center. The situation is not well chosen, 
as in the floods it is generally overflowed two or 
three feet. This was the first settlement on the 
river Missisippi. The land was purchased of the 
savages by a few Canadians, some of whom married 
women of the Kaoquias nation, and others brought 
wives from Canada, and then resided there, leaving 
their children to succeed them. The inhabitants 
of this place depend more on hunting, and their 
Indian trade, than on agriculture, as they scarcely 
raise corn enough for their own consumption : they 
have a great deal of poultry and good stocks of 
horned cattle. The mission of St. Sulpice had a 
very fine plantation here, and an excellent house 
built on it; they sold this estate, and a very good 

^ Cahokia is practically extinct although the map of St. Louis 
issued by the United States Geological Survey at the Louisiana 
Purchase Exposition represents its streets and houses. It no 
longer has a village government or a postofifice. 

92 



Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 93 

mill for corn and planks, to a Frenchman who chose 
to remain under the English government. They 
also disposed of thirty negroes and a good stock of 
cattle to different people in the country, and re- 
turned to France in the year 1764. What is called 
the fort is a small house standing in the center of the 
village; it differs in nothing from the other houses 
except in being one of the poorest ; it was formerly 
enclosed with high pallisades, but these were torn 
down and burnt. Indeed a fort at this place could 
be of but little use. 



SAINT LOUIS, OR PAINCOURT^ 

This village is one league and a half above Kao- 
quias, on the west side of the Missisippi, being 
the present head quarters of the French in these 
parts. It was first established in the year 1764, by 
a company of merchants, to whom Mons. D'Abbadie 
had given an exclusive grant for the commerce with 
the Indian nations on the river Missoury; and for 
the security and encouragement of this settlement, 
the staff of French officers and the commissary were 
ordered to remove there, upon the rendering Fort 
Chartres to the English ; and great encouragement 
was given to the inhabitants to remove with them, 
most of whom did. The company has built a large 
house, and stores here, and there are about forty 
private houses and as many families. No fort or 
barracks are yet built. The French garrison con- 
sists of a captain-commandant, two lieutenants, 
a fort-major, one serjeant, one corporal, and twenty 
men. 



^ St. Louis was named from Louis IX. For an interesting ex- 
planation of the origin of the name Paincourt, see Fortier's History 
of Louisiana, ii, p. 341. Switzler's History of Missouri, p. 142, gives 
a different explanation. 



94 



SAINTE GENEVIEUVE, OR MISERE 

The first settlers of this village removed about 
twenty-eight years ago from Cascasquias: the 
goodness of the soil and the plentiful harvests they 
reaped made them perfectly satisfied with the place 
they had chosen. The situation of the village is 
very convenient, being within one league of the 
salt spring, which is for the general use of the 
French subjects, and several persons belonging to 
this village have works here, and make great quan- 
tities of salt for the supply of the Indians, hunters, 
and the other settlements. A lead mine, which 
supplies the whole country with shot, is about fif- 
teen leagues distance. The communication of this 
village with Cascasquias is very short and easy, it 
being only to cross the Missisippi, which is about 
three quarters of a mile broad at this place, and 
then there is a portage, two miles distance, to Cas- 
casquias. This cuts off eighteen miles by water, 
six down the river Cascasquias and twelve up the 
Missisippi. The village of St. Louis is supplied 
with flour and other provisions from hence. An 
officer appointed by the French commandant has 
the entire regulation of the police. Here is a com- 
pany of militia, commanded by a Mons. Valet, who 
resides at this place, and is the richest inhabitant 
of the country of the Illinois ; he raises great quanti- 

95 



96 Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 

ties of corn and provisions of every kind ; he has one 
hundred negroes, besides hired white people, con- 
stantly employed. The village is about one mile 
in length and contains about seventy families.^ 
Here is a very fine water-mill, for corn and planks, 
belonging to Mons. Valet. 

1 Ste. Genevieve was swept away by the flood of 1785. The mod- 
em village was then built on the bluff about three miles northwest 
of the original site. The population in 1900 was 1707. 



OF THE COUNTRY OF THE ILLINOIS 

The country of the Illinois is bounded by the 
Missisippi on the west, by the river Illinois on the 
north, by the rivers Ouabache and Miamis on the 
east, and the Ohio on the south. 

The air in general is pure, and the sky serene, 
except in the month of March and the latter end 
of September, when there are heavy rains and hard 
gales of wind. The months of May, June, July, 
and August, are excessive hot, and subject to sud- 
den and violent storms; January and February are 
extremely cold; the other months of the year are 
moderate. The principal Indian nations in this 
country are, the Cascasquias, Kaoquias, Mitchi- 
gamias, and Peoryas; these four tribes are gener- 
ally called the Illinois Indians : except in the hunt- 
ing seasons, they reside near the English settlements 
in this country, where they have built their huts. 
They are a poor, debauched, and dastardly people. 
They count about three hundred and fifty warriors. 
The Peanquichas, Mascoutins, Miamis, Kickapous, 
and Pyatonons,^ though not very numerous, are a 
brave and warlike people. The soil of this country 
in general is very rich and luxuriant; it produces 
all sorts of European grains, hops, hemp, flax, cot- 
ton, and tobacco, and European fruits come to great 

^ Ouiatanons or Weas. 

97 

7 



98 Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 

perfection. The inhabitants make wine of the wild 
grapes, which is very inebriating, and is, in colour 
and taste, very like the red wine of Provence. 
The country abounds with buffalo, deer, and wild- 
fowl, particularly ducks, geese, swans, turkies, and 
pheasants. The rivers and lakes afford plenty of 
fish. 

[52] In the late wars, New Orleans and the 
lower parts of Louisiana were supplied with flour, 
beer, wines, hams, and other provisions from this 
country: at present its commerce is mostly con- 
fined to the peltry and furs, which are got in 
traffic from the Indians; for which are received 
in return such European commodities as are nec- 
essary to carry on that commerce and the support 
of the inhabitants. 



OF THE GOVERNMENT OF THE COUNTRY 

OF ILLINOIS, WHEN BELONGING 

TO THE FRENCH 

This country, when in possession of the French, 
was governed by a military officer, called the major- 
commandant, who was appointed by the governor 
of New Orleans; he was always a man connected 
with the governor by interest or relationship; he 
was absolute in his authority, except in matters of 
life and death; capital offences were tried by the 
council at New Orleans: the whole Indian trade 
was so much in the power of the commandant, that 
nobody was permitted to be concerned in it, but 
on condition of giving him part of the profits. 
Whenever he made presents to the Indians, in the 
name of his king, he received peltry and furs in 
return; as the presents he gave were to be con- 
sidered as marks of his favour and love for them, 
so the returns they made were to be regarded as 
proofs of their attachment to him. Speeches 
accompanied by presents were called paroles de 
valeur] any Indians who came to a French post 
were subsisted at the expence of the king during 
their stay, and the swelling this account was no 
inconsiderable emolument. 

As every business the commandant had with the 
Indians was attended with certain profit, it is not 

99 



lOO Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 

surprising that he spared no pains to gain their 
affections; and he made it equally the interest of 
the officers under him to please them, by permitting 
them to [54] trade, and making them his agents 
in the Indian countries. If any person brought 
goods within the limits of his jurisdiction, without 
his particular licence, he would oblige them to sell 
their merchandise, at a very moderate profit, to 
the commissary, on the king's account, calling it 
an emergency of government, and employ the same 
goods in his own private commerce: it may easily 
be supposed, from what has been before said, that 
a complaint to the governor of New Orleans would 
meet with very little redress. It may be asked, if 
the inhabitants were not offended at this monopoly 
of trade and arbitrary proceedings? The com- 
mandant could bestow many favours on them, such 
as giving contracts for furnishing provisions, or 
performing publick works; by employing them in 
his trade, or by making their children cadets, who 
were allowed pay and provisions, and could when 
they were grown up recommend them for com- 
missions. They were happy if by the most servile 
and submissive behaviour they could gain his con- 
fidence and favour. Every person capable of bear- 
ing arms was enrolled in the militia, and a captain 
of militia and officers were appointed to each 
parish ; the captain of militia regulated corvees and 
other personal service. From this military form 
of government the authority of the commandant 
was almost universal. The commissary was a mere 



Pittman's Missisippi Settlements loi 

cypher, and rather kept for form than for any 
real use ; he was always a person of low dependence, 
and never dared counteract the will of the com- 
mandant. 



OF THE INHABITANTS 

The first white inhabitants of the Illinois came 
from Canada; some brought wives and families 
with them, others married Indian women in those 
countries; there is still a continual intercourse be- 
tween them and the Canadians. The men of these 
countries are very superstitious and ignorant ; they 
are in general active and well made; they are as 
good hunters, can bear as much fatigue, and are 
as well acquainted with the woods, as the Indians; 
most of them have some knowledge of the dialects 
of the neighbouring Indians and much affect their 
manners. The price of labour in general is very 
high, as most of the young men rather chuse to 
hunt and trade amongst the Indians, than apply 
to agriculture or become handicrafts. At the 
Illinois a man may be boarded and lodged the year 
round on condition of his working two months, 
one month in ploughing the land and sowing the 
corn, and one month in the harvest. The only 
trades they have amongst them are carpenters, 
smiths, masons, taylors, and mill-wrights. The 
number of white inhabitants in this country, ex- 
clusive of the troops, are about two thousand, of 
all ages and sexes; in this number are included 
those who live at Fort St. Vincent's,^ on the 

1 Poste Vincennes or Poste du Ouabache, not St. Vincents, as it 
was often called by the English. It was named from its founder^ 
Franqois Morgan, sieur de Vincennes. 

1 02 



Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 103 

Ouabache. Thirty French soldiers were withdrawn 
from thence in the latter end of the year 1 764. The 
inhabitants at this post live much at their ease, 
having every thing necessary for their subsistence 
of their own production. Their commerce is the 
same as that of the other inhabitants of this 
country. 



L'ARRET DE LA COUR SUPERIEURE DE 
LA PROVINCE 

Mentione a la page i6. 

Louis, par la grace de Dieu, roi de France & de 
Navarre, a tous ceux qui ces presentes verront, 
salut: Savoir faisons, que vu par le conseil supe- 
rieur de la province de Louisianne, les tres-humbles 
representations faites cejourd'hui a la cour, par 
tous les habitans, negocians, artizans, & autres peu- 
ples, icelles expositives, que le soulagement d'un peu- 
ple dont le conseil est le pere, le maintien des loix 
dont il est le depositaire & I'interprette, les progres 
de I'agriculture & du commerce dont il est le pro- 
tecteur, sont les motifs des representations des dits 
habitans .& negocians, &c. Quels objets pour le 
conseil! Pourroit-il, apres les avoir envisagez en 
regarder d'autres, qu'autant qu'ils concourent a fa- 
voriser ceux-la ? Qu'il suspende pour quelques mo- 
mens ses penibles travaux, pour se livrer aux sujets 
qui sont representes aujourd'hui, comme les plus 
dignes de son attention & de son ministere: & toi 
dont le prosperite fait I'objet de nos plus ardens de- 
sirs, toi qui es pour nous ce que Sparthe, Athenes, 
& Rome etoient pour leurs zeles citoyens; O chere 

104 



ARRET OF THE SUPERIOR COUNCIL OF 
THE PROVINCE 

Referred to in page i6 [see p. 50]. 

Louis, by the grace of God, king of France and 
of Navarre, to all those who shall see these presents, 
greeting: We make it known that the superior 
council of the province of Louisiana, having taken 
into consideration the humble representations made 
this day to that court by all the inhabitants, mer- 
chants, artisans, and others; and these laying be- 
fore it, that the relief of a people, to whom the 
council is a father ; the support of the laws, of which 
it is the depository and interpreter; and the im- 
provement of agriculture and commerce, of which 
it is the patron, are the motives of the representa- 
tions of said inhabitants and merchants, &c. What 
important objects are these for the council ! Can it, 
after having duly considered them, give attention 
to any other, farther than as they contribute to 
favour these? Let it for a few moments suspend 
its labours to attach itself to those subjects, which 
are now represented as most worthy of its attention 
and its ministry: and you, whose prosperity is the 
object of our most ardent wishes; you who are to 
us what Sparta, Athens, and Rome were to their 
zealous citizens, O dear country! suffer us to pay 

105 



io6 Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 

patrie ! Permets nous d'acquittter tine dette legitime 
en te consacrant ce foible tribut de notre amour; 
nos coeurs vont le dieter, une main docile va se pre- 
ter a leurs inspirations. 

Sept millions de papiers royaux formoient tout 
le numeraire de cette colonie & la fortune des citoy- 
ens; la privation totale de ce capital, dont S. M. 
suspendit le payement par un arret du mois [58] 
d'Octobre 1759, a mis la province de la Louisiane 
dans la plus deplorable situation. On n'entre- 
prendra pas de faire un detail des calamites, des 
renversemens des fortunes, de la ruine des families 
qui ont ete les suites funestes de cette catastrophe; 
la cour en a sous les yeux un tableau plus frappant 
qu'on ne sgauroit le peindre, toutes les fois qu'elle 
s'assemble pour etre les arbitres des malheureuses 
victimes de cet evenement. Revenus de I'abatte- 
ment dans lequel ils avoient ete plonges, les citoy- 
ens de la Louisiane commencoient enfin a respirer; 
ils avoient envisage la fin de la guerre comme la 
fin de leurs malheurs, & Aavoient dans Tesperance 
que le retour de la paix auroit ete le moment destine 
pour leur soulagement. L'agriculture, (disoit I'ha- 
bitant) cette richesse la plus reelle des nations, cette 
source seconde dont coulent tons les biens dont on 
jouit, va etre animee & restituera au centuple pen- 
dant la paix, les pertes que Ton a essuye pendant 
la guerre; le commerce, sans lequel les fruits de la 
terre n'ont ni prix, ni valeur, va etre vivifie & pro- 
tege (disoit le negociant) douces illusions! Pro- 



Pittman^s Missisippi Settlements 107 

a lawful debt, by consecrating to you this weak 
tribute of our love, a tribute dictated by our hearts, 
which are seconded by an obedient hand, ready to 
perform what they inspire. 

Seven millions of royal paper made all the cur- 
rency of this colony, and the fortune of its citizens ; 
the total privation of this capital, the payment of 
which his majesty suspended by an edict of [59] the 
month of October, 1759, has reduced the province 
of Louisiana to the most deplorable situation. We 
shall not undertake to enter into a detail of the 
calamities, of the ruined fortunes, of the downfal 
of families, which were the fatal consequences of 
that catastrophe; the court has before its eyes a 
more striking picture of those than it is possible 
for us to paint, every time it assembles to take cog- 
nizance of the unhappy victims of this event. Re- 
covered from the dejection into which they had 
been plunged, the citizens of Louisiana at last began 
to take heart. They had considered the conclusion 
of the war as the end of their misfortunes, and en- 
tertained hopes that the return of peace would be 
the moment destined for their relief. Agriculture, 
said the inhabitants, that real wealth of a nation, 
that prolific source from whence flow all the bless- 
ings which we enjo)^, will now be revived, and will 
restore a hundred fold during the peace, the losses 
which we underwent during the war; commerce, 
without which the fruits of the earth have neither 
worth nor value, will be revived and encouraged, 
(said the merchant) pleasing illusions! flattering 



io8 Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 

jets flateiirs, qu'etes vous devenus? Le cultiva- 
teur, le commergant, tous les etats de la colonie 
eprouvent dans la plus profonde paix, des revers & 
des calamites qu'ils n'avoient point ressenti pen- 
dant une longue & cruelle guerre. Le premier coup 
dont la colonie a ete f rappe est la nouvelle de la ces- 
sion que sa majeste en a faite a I'Espagne; on ne 
s'etonnera point sans doute, de la profonde tristesse 
dont cet evenement a penetre tous les cceurs; les 
Frangois aiment leur prince par dessus toutes 
choses, & un heureux prejuge fait pancher naturel- 
lement tous les hommes vers le gouvernement dans 
lequel ils sont nes; jettons une voile sur cet evene- 
ment, la plume tombe des mains d'un Frangois 
quand il veut I'approfondir. Ce qui occupe serieuse- 
ment aujourd'hui & qui doit aussi fixer toute I'at- 
tention de la cour, ce sont les avant-coureurs des 
chaines dont une nouvelle administration menace 
les colons de la Louisiane. Tantot c'est une com- 
pagnie exclusive, qui doit au prejudice de la nation, 
faire le commerce de toutes les possessions qui res- 
tent aux [60] Frangois dans I'Amerique Septentrio- 
nale ; on voit ensuite paroitre un arret, qui renf erme 
la liberte necessaire au commerce dans les bornes 
les plus etroites, & defend aux Frangois toute liai- 
son avec leur propre nation, tout y respire les pro- 
hibitions & la gene, partout les commergans de 
Louisiane trouvent des obstacles a surmonter, des 
difficultes a vaincre & (s'il est permis de se servir 
de cette expression) des ennemies de la patrie a 



Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 109 

projects ! what is now become of you! The farmer, 
the dealer, all ranks and classes in the colony, un- 
dergo, in the most profound peace, misfortunes and 
calamities which they never felt during a long and 
bloody war. The first stroke by which the colony 
was afflicted, was the information it received of the 
cession made of it by his majesty to Spain : nobody, 
doubtless, will be surprised at the profound melan- 
choly which this news excited in all hearts. The 
French love their monarch above all things, and 
a happy prejudice makes all men naturally incline 
to the government under which they are born. Let 
us cast a veil over this event, the pen drops from 
the hand of a Frenchman when he attempts to 
dive into it : what at present seriously occupies and 
should engross the whole attention of the court, 
is the apprehension of that slavery with which a 
new administration threatens the colonies of 
Louisiana. At one time we behold an exclusive 
company, which, to the prejudice of the nation, is 
empowered to carry on all the commerce of the 
remaining [61] possessions of the French in North 
America ; we next see an edict make its appearance, 
which confines the liberty necessary for carrying 
on commerce within the narrowest bounds, and 
forbids the French to have any connexion with 
their own nation; prohibitions and constraint pre- 
vail every where ; the merchants of Louisiana every 
where meet with obstacles to surmount, difficulties 
to overcome, and (if it be allowable to make use of 
such an expression) enemies of their country to 



no Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 

combattre. En Europe il s'ecoule quelquefois six 
mois avant qu'un armateur parvienne a sgavoir s'il 
obtiendra un passeport; on n'est pas mieux regu a 
St. Domingue lorsqu'il est question d' expeditions 
pour ce fleuve. Mr. le Prince Monbazon, general 
de risle, commence a les refuser. A la Louisiane 
dans le centre meme de la colonic, ou le genie le 
plus borne voit au premier coup d'oeil combien elle 
a besoin d'encouragement & de protection, on n'est 
pas plus favorise. Le gouvernement defendit il y a 
pres d'un an, I'importation des negres, sous pre- 
texte que la concurrence auroit fait tort a un nego- 
ciant des colonies Angloises qui devoit en fournir. 
Quelle marche effrayante & destructive ! C'est pri- 
ver la colonic de Taliment le plus propre a son ac- 
croissement; c'est couper les racines d'une branche 
de commerce qui vaut seule pour la Louisiane plus 
que toutes les autres reunies: accrediter des sem- 
blables sistemes, c'est vouloir convertir en une vaste 
foret des etablissemens qui ont coute des peines & 
des soins a I'infini. La vigilance de la cour decouv- 
rira facilement la cause de ces contrarietes, les ef- 
forts de son zele la detruiront, & son affection pour 
la colonic la sauvera du naufrage. La contrainte 
tient tout dans la langueur & dans la faiblesse, la 
liberte au contraire anime tout: personne n'ignore 
aujourd'hui que I'octroi des priveleges exclusifs est 
a proprement parler une espece de vampire, qui 
peu a peu mine le peuple, tarit le numeraire, ecrase 



Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 1 1 1 

combat. In Europe there sometimes passes six 
months, before a person who fits out a vessel knows 
whether he shall obtain a passport ; we have no bet- 
ter success at St. Domingo when expeditions to that 
river are in question: Prince Monbazon, general 
of the island, begins to refuse them. In Louisiana, 
in the very center of the colony, where a person 
of the meanest genius sees at the very first glance 
how much it stands in need of encouragement and 
patronage, we do not meet with more favour. The 
government almost a twelvemonth ago forbid the 
importation of negroes, upon pretext that the com- 
petition would have hurt a merchant belonging to 
the English colonies, who was to furnish them. 
How terrible and how destructive a bargain is this ! 
It is depriving the colony of the food best adapted 
to its nourishment; it is cutting up by the roots 
a branch of commerce, which is of more consequence 
to Louisiana than all the rest put together : to pro- 
mote system-S of this sort is desiring to convert 
into a vast forest establishments which have cost 
infinite pains and trouble. The vigilance of the 
court will easily discover the cause of these con- 
trarieties ; the efforts of its zeal will destroy it ; and 
its affection for the colony will save it from de- 
struction. Constraint keeps the affairs of the 
province in a state of languor and weakness ; liberty, 
on the contrary animates all things: nobody is at 
present ignorant that the granting of exclusive 
privileges may be justly considered as a sort of 
devouring fire, which imperceptibly undermines and 



112 Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 

I'agriculture, & le commerce; voye oppressive, qui, 
pour le bonheur de I'humanite, est depuis long-tems 
bannie des colonies Frangoises. [62] Par quelle 
fatalite faut-il que la Louisiane seule voie renaitre 
des etincelles d'un feu si devorant. Ce ne sont 
point ici des terreurs paniques, la cour en demeu- 
rera convaincue apres qu'elle aura pris lecture de 
I'arret dont on a I'honneur de lui presenter I'extrait. 
On ne balance point a dire que Texecution du plan 
qu'il renferme ruineroit la colonic, en portant a 
Tagriculture & au commerce les plus dangereuses 
atteintes. Les colons de la Louisiane desperent 
d'avance du salut de leur patrie, si les priveleges 
& exemptions, dont elle a joui jusqu'a present, 
ne sont maintenus; si I'execution de ce fatal arret 
qui a porte I'allarme & la desolation dans tous 
les coeurs n'est detournee; si une ordonnance ren- 
due au nom de S. M. C. & publiee a la Nouvelle 
Orleans le 6 Septembre 1766, dont on joint ici 
copie, n'est annullee comme illegale dans tous ses 
points, & contraire a I'accroissement de I'agricul- 
ture & du commerce: si enfin Ton permettoit 
que les douces loix sous lesquelles les colons ont 
vecu jusques a aujourd'hui fussent violees. On ne 
doit jamais oublier le discours sublime qu'un magis- 
trat illustre addresse aux legislateurs de la terre 
(voulez-vous dit-il abroger quelque loy, n'y touchez 
que d'une main tremblante. Observez tant de so- 
lemnites, apportez tant de precautions que le peuple 



Pittmans Missisippi Settlements 113 

consumes the people, drains the currency, and 
crushes agriculture and commerce; an oppressive 
method, which, for the honour of humanity, has 
been long since banished from the French colonies, 
[63] To what fatality is it owing that Louisiana 
alone sees sparks of this devouring fire again struck 
out? These are not panick terrors, and this the 
court will be convinced of, after perusing the sen- 
tence, an extract of which we have here the honour 
of presenting them with. We shall not scruple to 
affirm, that the carrying the plan which it contains 
into execution, would ruin the colony, by giving 
agriculture and commerce the most dangerous 
wounds. The inhabitants of Louisiana despair be- 
forehand of the preservation of their country, if 
the privileges and exemptions which it has hitherto 
enjoyed are not continued; if the execution of this 
fatal decree, which has alarmed all hearts and filled 
them with consternation, is not prevented; if an 
ordonnance published in the name of his Catholic 
majesty at New Orleans on the 6th of September 
1766, of which a copy is here subjoined, is not 
annulled, as illegal in all these points, and an ob- 
struction to the increase of agriculture and com- 
merce; if in fine the mild laws, under which the 
inhabitants have lived till now, were suffered to 
be violated. We should never forget the sublime 
discourse, which a renowned magistrate addresses 
to the legislators of the earth ; " Are you, says he, 
desirous of abrogating any law, touch it with a 
trembling hand. Observe so many formalities, 



114 Pittmans Missisippi Settlements 

en conclut naturellement, que les loix sont bien 
saintes puisqu'il faut tant de formalites pour les 
abroger. ) 

Qu'il est douloureux sans doute pour des Fran- 
cois, d'eprouver toutes les rigueurs aux quelles on 
soumet aujourd'hui leur commerce, pendant qu'une 
nation etrangere, leur ambitieuse rivale, fait ou- 
vertement & sans trouble le commerce de la colonic 
au prejudice de la nation a qui elle appartient, qui 
a contribue a son etablissement & qui en fait les 
fraix: on ne craint point qu'on objecte que les 
Frangois seuls, ne sont point en etat de fournir le 
continent de ses besoins; un pret de sept millions 
que les citoyens de la Louisiane ont fait au roi, de- 
puis I'annee 1758, jusqu'en 1763, sera [64] un mo- 
nument eternel de I'etendue du commerce Frangois 
& de I'attachment des colons pour le service de leur 
souverain. 

Que c'est au moment qu'une nouvelle Mine vient 
d'etre decouverte, que le cotton dont la culture as- 
suree par I'experience, promet au cultivateur la re- 
compense de ses travaux, & a I'armateur le charge- 
ment de ses navires, que la fabrique de I'indigo pent 
aller de pair avec celle de Saint Domingue, que le 
commerce des pelleteries est pousse au plus haut 
point ou il soit encore parvenu, c'est dans ces heu- 
reuses circonstances que quelques ennemis de la 
patrie & createurs d'un faux sisteme, ont sans doute 
surpris la religion des personnes en place, pour sa- 



Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 115 

have recourse to so many enquiries, that the people 
may naturally conclude that the laws are sacred, 
since so many precautions are required in the ab- 
rogation of them." 

We will likewise, without hesitation, affirm that 
it is a high mortification for Frenchmen to suffer 
all the rigours to which their commerce is subjected, 
whilst a foreign nation, their ambitious rival, open- 
ly carries on the trade of the colony, to the prej- 
udice of the nation to which it belongs, which 
contributed to its establishment, and which is at 
the expence of it: we do not fear that it will be 
objected, that the French alone are not able to sup- 
ply the continent with all the commodities which 
they want; a loan of seven millions, which the in- 
habitants of Louisiana have made the king since 
the year 1758 to 1763, will be an eternal monument 
[65] of the extent of the French commerce, and of 
the attachment of the people of the colonies to their 
sovereign's service. 

It is just at the instant that a new mine has been 
discovered, when the culture of cotton, improved by 
experience, promises the planter the recompense of 
his toil, and the person who is concerned in fitting 
out vessels, cargoes to load them; when the manu- 
facture of indigo may vie with that of St. Domin- 
ico; when the fur trade has been carried to the 
highest degree of perfection; it is in these happy 
circumstances that certain enemies to their country, 
and broachers of a false system, have doubtless 
drawn in persons in public office to sacrifice the in- 



Ii6 Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 

crifier les habitans de la Nouvelle Orleans. Que 
la cour ne renvoye pas a des tems plus eloignes le 
soulagement d'un peuple qui lui est cher; qu'elle 
fasse connoitre aux personnes revetues de I'auto- 
rite royale, Tequisement ou seroit reduite cette pro- 
vince si elle n'etoit point desormais affranchie des 
prohibitions qui la plongeroit dans une ruine irre- 
mediable; que penseroit-on d'un medecin, qui ayant 
le remede universel attendroit une peste pour s'en 
servir. Que c'est a la faveur de la navigation des 
isles du vent, & sous le vent, que les habitans de la 
Louisiane trouvent chaque annee le debit de quatre- 
vingt a cent cargaisons de bois; qu'on ote cette 
branche de commerce, on prive la colonic d'un re- 
venu annuel de cinq cent mille livres au moins, som- 
me que le travail seul des negres & I'application du 
maitre produit sans autre mise dehors. Qu'il vau- 
droit mieux, suivant un fameux auteur, perdre dans 
un grand royaume cent mille hommes par une faute 
de politique, que d'en commettre une qui arrete le 
cours de I'agriculture & du commerce: que Ton 
sgait que ceux qui presentent des pro jets pour ob- 
tenir des priveleges exclusifs, ne manquent jamais 
de raisons plausibles pour les faire paroitre oecono- 
miques & avantageux, soit au roi, soit au public; 
mais I'experience de tons les siecles & de tous les 
lieux demontre evidemment [66] que ceux qui sol- 
licitent des exclusions ont uniquement en vue leur 
interet particulier; qu'ils sont moins zeles que les 



Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 117 

habitants of New Orleans. The court should not 
longer defer the relief of a people which is dear 
to it; it should make known to those invested with 
royal authority the exhausted state to which this 
province would be reduced, if it was not for the 
time to come freed from the prohibitions, which 
would plunge it into irremediable ruin. What 
should we think of a physician, who being possessed 
of the panacea, or universal remedy, should wait 
for a plague in order to apply it ? It is by the trade 
to the Leeward Islands that the inhabitants of 
Louisiana find means every year to dispose of four- 
score or a hundred loads of wood ; if this branch of 
trade was to be taken away, the colony would be 
deprived of an annual income of 300,000 livres at 
least, a sum which the work of the negroes and 
the application of the master produces alone, with- 
out any foreign assistance. According to the ob- 
servation of a celebrated author, it would be better 
to lose a hundred thousand men in a great kingdom 
by an error in politicks, than to be guilty of one 
which should stop the progress of agriculture and 
commerce. It is well known that those who present 
plans to obtain exclusive privileges, are never with- 
out plausible reasons to make them appear saving 
and advantageous, as well to the king as the 
public; but the experience of all ages and all coun- 
tries evidently demonstrates, that those who seek 
exclusions, [6y'\ have their private interest solely 
in view; that they have less zeal than others for 
the prosperity of the state, and have less of the 



ii8 Pittmans Missisippi Settlements 

autres pour le bien de I'etat & moins bons patriotes. 
Que I'execution de I'arret pour le commerce de la 
Louisiane reduiroit les habitans a I'affligeante al- 
ternative, ou de perdre leurs recoltes, faute de na- 
vires pour en faire I'exportation, ou de changer 
leurs denrees en fraude avec une nation etrangere, 
en s'exposant a subir la rigueur de la loi qui pro- 
nonce la perte des biens & de la liberte contre les 
contrebandistes ; quelle vie! & quel combat! Qu'il 
n'est que trop vrai comme on I'a deja observe, que 
le bruit seul de la nouvelle ordonnance a cause une 
diminution considerable, non seulement sur les ob- 
jets de luxe, mais aussi sur les biens fonds. Une mai- 
son qui valoit ci-devant vingt mille livres auroit de 
la peine aujourd'hui d'en produire cinq; on dira peut- 
etre que la rarete de 1' argent contribue aussi a cette 
diminution, mais combien sera plus grande la disette 
des especes, lorsque la colonic se verra livree, soit 
a une compagnie exclusive, soit a I'ambition de cinq 
a six particuliers qui ne f orment qu'une masse ? Ce 
sera alors un membre qui s'accroitra monstrueuse- 
ment aux depens de la substance des autres qui de- 
viendront sees, et paralitiques ; le corps se verra par 
la menace d'une destruction totale: que ce n'a ete 
qu'en favorisant ouvertement I'introduction des 
negres que Ton etoit parvenu a mettre cette colonic 
dans Fembonpoint, ou Ton I'a vue en 1759. Qu'on 
dira peut-etre, pour dissiper les allarmes, que Tor 
& I'argent qui s'est repandu sur la place, au moyen 



Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 119 

spirit of patriotism. The execution of the decree 
with regard to the commerce of Louisiana, would 
reduce the inhabitants to the sad alternative of 
either losing their harvests for want of vessels to 
export them, or to exchange their commodities in 
a fraudulent manner with a foreign nation, expos- 
ing themselves to undergo the rigour of the law, 
which ordains that those who carry on a contra- 
band trade shall lose both their lives and liberties. 
What a life is this! what a struggle! it is but too 
true, as has been already observed, that the report 
of the new ordinance alone has caused a consider- 
able diminution, not only in the articles of luxury, 
but likewise in landed estates. A house which 
was heretofore worth twenty thousand livres would 
hardly sell for five thousand: some will, perhaps, 
assert that the scarcity of money contributes like- 
wise to this diminution ; but how much greater will 
be the scarcity of specie, when the colony shall 
either be delivered up to an exclusive company, or 
to the ambition of five or six individuals, who form 
but one body? It will resemble a member grown 
to a monstrous bulk at the expence of the substance 
of the rest, which would become withered and 
paralytic ; the body would thereby find itself threat- 
ened with a total destruction : it was only by openly 
favouring the introduction of negroes that this 
colony was raised to the flourishing state which it 
appeared to have attained in 1759. Perhaps it will 
be said, to dispel these alarms, that the gold and 
silver which has been made to abound in the place 



I20 Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 

d'une nouvelle administration, pourra dedomma- 
ger des pertes de I'agriculture, & du commerce, mais 
qu'a juger de I'avenir par I'experience du passe & 
du present, on trouvera cette ressource bien foible, 
personne n'ignorant d'ailleurs que, parmi les dif- 
ferens tresors que la terre renferme dans son sein, 
Tor & I'argent ne sont ni les premieres richesses, ni 
les plus desirables, ces matieres ont reduit dans un 
etat deplorable leurs possesseurs naturels & les 
maitres de ces esclaves ne sont pas devenus plus 
puissants. II semble que des le moment ils ayent 
perdu tout esprit d'industrie, tout [68] aptitude au 
travail, comme un laboureur qui trouveroit un tre- 
sor au milieu de son champ abandoneroit pour tou- 
jours la charrue; que d'ailleurs combien d'actes de 
rigueur n'ont pas etc exercees contre des paisibles 
citoyens par un etranger, qui, quoique revetu d'un 
caractere respectable, n'a satisfait a aucuns des for- 
malites ni a aucuns des devoirs prescrits par Facte 
de cession, leur objet de tranquilite. On citera un 
ancien capitaine qui a ete detenu, par ses ordres, 
aux arrets & son navire dans le port pendant I'es- 
pace de huit a dix mois, pour n'avoir pas sgu lire 
dans les decrets de la providence que le bateau dans 
lequel il avoit envoye des paquets qu'on lui avoit 
confie, feroit naufrage. Une semblable tyrannic a 
ete exercee par le depositaire de cette meme auto- 
rite informe & illegale, envers deux capitaines de la 
Martinique qui n'avoient commis d' autre crime, que 
celui de n'avoir pas devine que le conseil de la Lou- 



Pittmans Missisippi Settlements 121 

by a new administration, may indemnify for the 
losses of agriculture and commerce; but to judge 
of the future by the experience of the past and the 
present, that resource will be found to be very 
weak, as nobody can be ignorant, that amongst the 
various treasures which the earth contains in its 
bosom, gold and silver are neither the chief riches 
nor the most desirable; these metals have reduced 
their natural possessors to a deplorable state, and 
the masters of those slaves are not thereby become 
more powerful. They appear from that moment 
to have lost all spirit and industry, all disposition 
[69] to work; like a labourer who should find a 
treasure in the midst of his field, and thereupon 
forsake his plough for ever. Besides, how many 
acts of severity have been exercised against peace- 
able citizens by a stranger; who, though invested 
with a respectable character, has observed none of 
the formalities, nor performed any of the duties 
prescribed by the act of cession, their object of 
tranquility. We shall mention an old captain of 
a ship who was confined by his orders, and his 
vessel detained in the port during eight or ten 
months, for not having been able to read in the de- 
crees of providence, that the vessel in which he had 
dispatched certain packets entrusted to his care 
would be cast away. A similar tyranny was exer- 
cised by the person invested with this illegal and 
unjust authority, against two captains belonging to 
Martinico, who had been guilty of no other crime 
but that of not having guessed that the council 



122 Pittmans Missisippi Settlements 

isiane avoit rendu un arret qui interdisoit I'entree 
des negres creolises des Isles du Vent & sous le 
Vent: quel traitement un ancien citoyen n'a-t-il pas 
essuye a Toccasion d'un paquet qui avoit ete remis 
au capitaine de son navire, & qui ayant ete contra- 
rie par les vents, n'a pii le remettre a la Havanne? 
Comment decrira-t-on Tinhumanite avec laquelle ont 
ete menes les Accadiens? Ce peuple, le jouet des 
evenemens, s'est determine, par un esprit patrio- 
tique, d'abandonner tout ce qu'il pouvoit posseder 
sur les terres Angloises pour venir vivre sous les 
heureuses loix de leur ancien maitre: ils sont ar- 
rives a grand f raix dans cette colonic ; a peine sont- 
ils parvenus a deffricher Templacement necessaire 
a une pauvre chaumiere que, sur quelques repre- 
sentations qu'ils ont voulu faire a M. Ulloa, il les 
a menace de les chasser de la colonic & de les faire 
vendre comme des esclaves pour payer les rations 
que le roi leur avoit donne, en enjoignant aux Alle- 
mands de leur refuser retraite. On laisse a decider, 
si cette conduite ne tient point de la barbaric ; mais 
on croit pouvoir conclure, sans rien exagerer, 
qu'elle est diametralement opposee au sisteme poli- 
tique qui veut que Ton [70] favor ise toutes les 
branches de populationes. Ceux qui se plaignent, & 
quel homme assez aneanti sous le joug peut essuyer 
sans murmure de telles inhumanites ? Oui, on I'ose 
dire, ceux qui se plaignent sont menaces d'etre em- 



Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 123 

of Louisiana had issued an edict, which forbid the 
entrance of the negroes naturalized amongst the 
CreoHans into the Leeward Islands. What ill 
usage has an old citizen suffered upon account of 
a pacquet, which had been put into the hands of 
the captain of one of his ships, who, having met 
with contrary winds, was unable to deliver it at 
the Havannah? How shall we describe the bar- 
barity with which the people of Accadia were 
treated? This people, the sport of fortune, were 
determined, by a patriotic spirit, to forsake all they 
might be possessed of upon the English territories, 
in order to go to live under the happy laws of their 
ancient master: they arrived in this colony at a 
great expence, and scarce had they cleared out a 
place sufficient for a poor thatched hut to stand 
upon, when in consequence of some representations, 
which they happened to make to Mr. Ulloa, he 
threatened to drive them out of the colony, and have 
them sold for slaves, to pay the rations which the 
king had given them, at the same time directing 
the Germans to refuse them a retreat. The court 
is left to determine whether this conduct does not 
border upon barbarism; but we think we may take 
upon us to conclude that it is diametrically op- 
posite to the political system, which directs us to 
promote every [71] branch of population. Those 
who complain, (and who is there so far broke to 
the yoke as to bear without murmuring such horrid 
inhumanities?) yes, we dare to declare it, those 
who complain are threatened with imprisonment, 



124 Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 

prisonnes, exiles a la Balises, & envoyes aux mines. 
Que si M, Ulloa a ete revetu de quelque autorite, 
son prince ne lui a jamais ordonne de la rendre 
tirannique, ni de I'exercer avant d' avoir fait con- 
noitre ses titres & ses pouvoirs. De telles vexations 
ne sont pas I'ouvrage des coeurs des rois, elles s'ac- 
cordent pen avec I'humanite qui fait leur caractere 
& qui dirige leurs actions : qu'on ne finiroit point si 
on entreprenoit le detail de toutes les humiliations 
que les Frangois de la Nouvelle Orleans ont 
eprouve. II est a desirer, pour Thonneur de la na- 
tion, que ce qui a pu en transpirer puisse etre efface 
par les precieux effets de la protection du conseil 
superieur que Ton reclame aujourd'hui, & que pour 
mettre le comble a tant de tribulations on leur pre- 
dit, qu'avec le tems, on reduira les colons de la 
Louisiane a la simple nourriture de la tortilla, tan- 
dis que Taliment le plus sobre ne fera jamais leur 
peine. Que cependant le conservation de leurs 
jours, leurs obligations envers leurs creanciers, leur 
honneur emanant du patriotisme & de leur devoir, 
leurs fortunes enfin se trouvant attaquees par le 
dit decret, les portent a offrir leurs biens & leur 
sang pour conserver a jamais le doux & inviolable 
titre de citoyen Frangois. Que tout cet expose les 
conduit naturellement a des conclusions auxquelles 
le zele de la cour pour le bien public, sa fermete 
pour le maintien des loix dont S. M. T. C. Fa eta- 



Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 125 

banished to Balises, and sent to the mines. Now, 
though Mr. Ulloa might have been invested with 
some authority, his prince never commanded him 
to exert it in a tyrannical manner, nor to exercise 
it before he had made known his titles and his 
powers. Such oppressions are not dictated by the 
hearts of kings ; they agree but ill with that human- 
ity which constitutes their character and directs 
their actions. We should hardly ever make an 
end, were we to enter into a detail of all the mor- 
tifications which the French of New Orleans have 
undergone. It were to be wished for the honour 
of the nation, that as many of them as have trans- 
pired might be obliterated by the precious effects 
of the protection of the superior court, which is 
now applied for, and that to render so much tribula- 
tion complete, it should be foretold to them, that in 
time the inhabitants of Louisiana will be reduced 
to live upon turtle alone, whilst the most frugal 
sort of food will now be a punishment to them. 
In the mean time, the preservation of their lives, 
their obligations to their creditors, their honour, 
which is the result of patriotism and of their duty, 
in fine, their very fortune being attacked by the 
said decree, reduce them to offer their possessions 
and their blood to preserve for ever the clear and 
inviolable title of Frenchmen. All that has hither- 
to been said leads them naturally to make demands 
or requests to which the zeal for the public good, 
its steddiness in supporting the laws which his 
most christian majesty has made them the deposi- 



126 Pittmans Missisippi Settlements 

blie depositaire, les assure qu'elle fera I'accueil le 
plus favorable. Mais avant d'entrer dans ces con- 
clusions ils doivent rendre homage aux bontes de 
M. Aubry. I.es voeux du public se sont toujours 
accordes avec le choix du prince a lui donner le 
commandement en chef de la Louisiane, ses vertus 
lui ont fait decerner le titre d'honnete homme & de 
gouverneur equitable: il n'a jamais use de ses pou- 
voirs que pour faire le bien, & [72] tout ce qui a 
ete injuste lui a toujours paru impossible. Qu'ils 
ne craignent point qu'on ait a leur reprocher que la 
reconnoissance les ait fait exagerer en quelques 
choses: negliger des louanges meritees, c'est voler 
une dette legitime, & concluent enfin en suppliant le 
cour, 

1. D'obtenir que les priveleges & exemptions 
dont la colonic a joui, depuis la retrocession que la 
compagnie en fit a S. M. T. C. soient maintenus 
sans qu'aucune innovation puisse en arreter le 
cours, & troubler la surete des citoyens. 

2. Qu'il soit accorde des passeports, conges & 
permissions emanant de messieurs le gouverneur & 
commissaire de S. M. T. C. aux capitaines de na- 
vires qui s'expedieront de cette colonic pour tel port 
de France & de TAmerique que ce puisse etre. 

3. Que tout batiment expedie de tel port de 
France & de I'Amerique que ce puisse etre, aura 
I'entree libre du fleuve; soit qu'il vienne directe- 



Pittmans Missisippi Settlements 127 

tories of, assures them that it will give the most 
favourable reception. But before they proceed to 
these demands, they must pay their homage to the 
goodness of Mons. Aubry. The wishes of the 
public have always corresponded with the choice 
of the prince in assigning him the chief command 
over the province of Louisiana; his virtues have 
caused the titles of honest man and equitable gov- 
ernor to be adjudged him; he never made use of 
his power but to do good, and all [73] unjust 
deeds have to him ever appeared impossible. They 
are not afraid of being reproached that gratitude 
has made them exaggerate in any particular: to 
neglect deserved praises is to keep back a lawful 
debt, and they conclude, in fine, by intreating the 
court, 

1 . To obtain that the privileges and exemptions, 
which the colony has enjoyed since the cession, 
which the company made to his most christian maj- 
esty, should be supported without any innovations 
being suffered to interrupt their course and dis- 
turb the security and quiet enjoyment of the cit- 
izens. 

2. That passports and permissions should be 
granted from the governors and commissioners of 
his most christian majesty, to such captains of 
vessels as shall set sail from this colony to any 
ports of France or America whatever. 

3. That any ship which sails from any port of 
France or America whatever, shall have free en- 
trance into the river, whether it sail directly for 



128 Pittmans Missisippi Settlements 

ment pour cette colonic, ou qu'il y abordc dc Re- 
lachc, afin que ccla s'est toujours pratique, 

4. Que la libcrte du commerce avec toutes les na- 
tions qui sont sous la domination de S. M. T. C. 
soit accorde a tous les citoyens, en conformite des 
ordres du roi a feu M. D'Abbadie, enregistres au 
greffe de cette ville, & conformement aussi a la 
lettre de monseigneur le due de Choiseuil au meme 
M. D'Abbadie, en datte du 9 Fevrier 1766. 

5. Que M. Ulloa soit declare infractaire & usur- 
pateur, en plusieurs points, de I'autorite devolue au 
gouvernement & au conseil, puisque toutes les loix, 
ordonnances & coutumes, veulent c[ue cette autorite 
ne soit exercee par aucun officier, qu'apres qu'il aura 
rempli toutes les formalites prescrites, & c'est a 
quoi M. [74] Ulloa n'a point satisfait; pourquoi, il 
doit etre declare infractaire & usurpateur, i. Pour 
avoir fait arborer pavilion Espagnol en plusieurs 
endroits de la colonic, sans avoir prealablement 
montre & fait enregistrer au conseil, les titres & 
pouvoirs dont il a pu etre munis & que les citoyens 
assembles ayent pu en etre informes. 2. Pour avoir, 
de son chef & autorite privee, exige que des capi- 
taines de navires fussent detenus & leurs batimens 
dans le port sans aucun fondement & pour avoir 
faire mettre aux arrets a bord d'une fregate Es- 
pagnole des citoyens Francois. 3. Pour avoir fait 



Pittmans Missisippi Settlements 129 

the colony, or only put into it occasionally, as has 
been always observed. 

4. That the freedom of trade with the several 
nations under the government of his most christian 
majesty, shall be granted to all the citizens, in 
conformity to the king's orders to the late Mr. 
D'Abbadie, registered at the secretary's office of 
this city, and likewise in conformity to the letter of 
his grace the duke de Choiseuil, addressed to the 
same Mr. D'Abbadie, and dated the 9th of Feb- 
ruary 1766. 

5. That Mr. Ulloa shall be declared to have, 
in many points, infringed and usurped the authority 
which had devolved to the government and the 
council, because all the laws, ordonances, and cus- 
toms, direct, that the said authority shall not be 
exercised by any officer, till he shall have performed 
all the formalities prescribed; [75] and this con- 
dition Mr. Ulloa has not complied with. He should 
therefore be declared to have infringed and usurped 
the authority of the government; i. For having 
caused Spanish colours to be set up in several parts 
of the colony, without having previously caused to 
be registered in the council books, the titles and 
powers which he might have received, and of which 
the assembly of the citizens might have been in- 
formed. 2. For having of his own accord, and by 
his own private authority, insisted upon captains 
of vessels being detained with their ships in the 
port without any cause, and for having ordered 
subjects of France to be confined aboard a Spanish 



130 Pittman^s Missisippi Settlements 

tenir des conseils, dans la maison du sieur Detre- 
han, par des officiers Espagnols, dans lesquels il a 
ete rendu des arrets concernant les citoyens de la 
Louisiane; & demandent, qu'en vertu de tons ces 
griefs & tant d'autres de notoriete publique & aussi 
pour la tranquilite de tous les citoyens qui recla- 
ment la protection du conseil, ils soient affranchis de- 
sormais de la crainte d'une autorite tiranique & 
des conditions portees par le dit decret, au moyen 
de Feloignement de M. Ulloa, auquel il doit etre 
enjoint de s'embarquer, dans le premier batiment 
qui partira, pour se rendre ou bon lui semblera, hors 
de la dependance de cette province. 

6. Qu'il soit ordonne a tous les officiers Espa- 
gnols, qui sont dans cette ville ou repandus dans les 
postes dependans de la colonic, d'en sortir pour se 
rendre egalement la ou ils jugeront a propos, hors 
de la dependence de la dite province, & qu'enfin il 
plaise a la cour, ordonner que I'arret a intervenir 
sera lu, public & affiche dans tous les lieux & en- 
droits accoutumes de cette ville & copies colla- 
tionees envoyees dans tous les postes de la dite co- 
lonic. Les dites representations sont signees par 
cinq cent trente six personnes, habitans, negocians, 
marchands, & notables. Vu aussi la copie du de- 
cret public par ordre de S. M. C. non signee, ni 
dattee, autre copie d'une [yG] ordonnance publiee 
en cette ville par ordre de M. Ulloa, du 6 Septembre 



Pittmans Missisippi Settlements 131 

frigate. 3. For having caused councils to be held 
in the house of Mr. Detrehan by Spanish officers, 
in which decrees were issued concerning the in- 
habitants of Louisiana. And they request, that 
on account of these grievances, and many others 
publickly known, and likewise for the tranquility 
of all the citizens who apply for the patronage of 
the council, they shall for the time to come be freed 
from the fear of a tyrannical authority, and ex- 
empted from observing the conditions enjoined by 
the said decree, by means of the dismission of Mr. 
Ulloa, who should be ordered to embark aboard the 
first vessel which shall set sail, in order to depart, 
whenever he thinks proper, out of the countries de- 
pending upon this province. 

6. That orders shall be given to all the Spanish 
officers who are in this city, or scattered up and 
down at the posts depending upon the colony, to 
quit them, in order to repair likewise, whenever 
they shall think proper, out of the dependencies 
of the province; and, finally, that the court would 
be pleased to order that the decree shall be read, 
published, and set up, in all the usual places of this 
city, and collated copies sent to all the posts of the 
said colony. The said representations signed by 
five hundred and thirty-six inhabitants, eminent 
merchants and dealers. On account, likewise, of 
the copy of the decree, published by orders of his 
catholic majesty, neither signed nor dated, and of 
another copy of an [yy] ordonance published in this 
city, by order of Mr. Ulloa, of the 6th of Sep- 



132 Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 

1766, I'arret interlocutoire rendu le jour d'hier sur 
le requisitoire de M. le procureur general du roi, 
portant & ordonnant avant dire droit, que les dites 
representations seroient mises entre les mains de 
messieurs, M*""^ Uchet, ecuyer, sieur de Knion, & 
Piot Delaunay, conseillers titulaires, pour etre par 
eux examinees & ensuite communiquees messieurs 
les gens du roi, pour etre requis & ordonne ce qu'il 
appartiendra de droit; le tout vu, M. le procureur 
general du roi s'est leve & remis, a dit, 

" Messieurs, 
" Le premier point le plus interessant a examiner, 
" est la demarche de tous les habitans & negocians 
"unis, qui dans leur servitude preparee, & leurs 
"malheurs demontres, s'addressent a votre tribu- 
"nal & vous demandent justice des infractions 
" f aites a Facte solemnel de cession de cette colonic : 
"votre tribunal est-il competant? Sont-ils fondes? 
"Je vais prouver I'etendue de Tautorite royale de- 
" feree au conseil superieur. Les parlemens & les 
"conseils superieurs sont les depositaires des loix 
"a I'abri desquels les peuples vivent heureux; sont 
"protecteurs nes par etat des vertueux citoyens, & 
"sont etablis pour faire executer les ordonnances, 
"edits, & declarations, des rois apres leur enregis- 
"trement: telle a ete la volonte de Louis le bien- 
"aime, notre seigneur roi, & au nom duquel tous vos 
"arrets jusqu'a ce jour, ont ete rendus & mis a 



Pittmans Missisippi Settlements 133 

tember 1766, the interlocutory decree issued yester- 
day, upon the requisition of the king's attorney- 
general, orders and directs, that before the decision 
of the court, the said representations shall be put 
into the hands of Messrs. Attre Uchet, esquire, 
lord of Knion, and Piot Delaunay, titular counsel- 
lors, to be by them examined, and afterwards com- 
municated to the king's council; that what the law 
directs may be enacted concerning them. All these 
particulars being taken into consideration, the king's 
attorney-general stood up and said, 

" Gentlemen, 
"The first and most interesting point to be ex- 
"amined is the step taken by all the inhabitants 
"and merchants in concert, who, being threatened 
"with slavery, and labouring under grievances 
"which have been enumerated, address your trib- 
"unal, and require justice for the violations of the 
" solemn act of the cession of that colony. Is your's 
" a competent tribunal ? Are these complaints just? 
" I shall now shew the extent of the royal authority 
"vested in the superior council. The parliaments 
"and superior council are the depositaries of the 
"laws, under the protection of which the people 
"live happily; they are, by their rank and dignity 
"the patrons of virtuous citizens, and they are 
"established for the purpose of executing the or- 
"donances, edicts, and declarations of kings after 
"they are registered. Such was the will and 
"pleasure of Lewis the well-beloved, our sovereign 
" lord, in whose name all your decrees to the present 



134 Pitttnans Missisippi Settlements 

"execution. L'acte de cession, seul titre dont le 
'' commissaire de S. M. C. puisse se prevaloir 
" pour reclamer autorite & propriete fut addresse a 
"defunt M. D'Abbadie, avec ordre de le faire en- 
"registrer au conseil superieur de la colonie, afin 
" que les differ ens etats de la dite colonie soient in- 
*' formes de son contenu & qu'ils puissent y aA^oir 
"recours au besoin, la presente n'etant a autres 
" [78] fins. La lettre de M. Ulloa dattee de la Ha- 
"vanne du 10 Juillet 1765, qui caracterise ses de- 
" sirs de rendre a messieurs les habitans tous les ser- 
" vices qu'ils pourront souhaiter, vous fut addres- 
" see, messieurs, avec priere de faire participer aux 
"dits habitans qu'en cela il ne feroit que remplir 
" son devoir & flater son inclination. La dite lettre 
''fut, par votre arret de delibere, publiee, affichee, 
''& enregistree comme un garant que les habitans 
"auroient de leur bonheur & de leur tranquilite. 
" Une autre lettre du mois d' Octobre dernier ecrite 
" a M. Aubry, constate que la justice se rende tou- 
*' jours dans la colonie au nom du roi Louis le bien- 
"aime. II resulte du puissant point d'appui de 
" Facte solemnel de cession & des autres accessoires, 
*'que messieurs les habitans & negocians sont bien 
" fondes a vous presenter leurs tres humbles repre- 
" sentations, & vous, messieurs, tres autorises a pro- 
"noncer. Examinons actuellement avec scrupule 
" Facte de cession, & la lettre de M. Ulloa ecrite au 



Pittmans Missisippi Settlements 135 



" day have been issued out and carried into execu- 
"tion. The act of cession, the only title of which 
" his catholic majesty's commissary can avail him- 
" self, to make his demands auctoritate & proprie- 
''tate, was addressed to the late Mr. D'Abbadie, 
" with orders to cause it to be registered in the supe- 
'' rior council of the colony, to the end that the diff er- 
" ent classes of the said colony may be informed of 
" its contents, and may be enabled to have recourse 
''to it upon occasion; [79] this instrument being 
"calculated for no other purpose. The letter of 
"Mr. Ulloa, dated from the Havannah July 10, 
"1765, which intimates his disposition to do the 
"inhabitants all the services they can desire, was 
"addressed to you, gentlemen, with a request to 
"intimate to the said inhabitants, that therein he 
"would only discharge his duty and gratify his 
"own inclinations. The said letter was, by your 
"decree, published, set up, and registered, as a 
"pledge to the inhabitants of happiness and tran- 
" quility. Another letter, of the month of October 
"last, written to Mr. Aubry, certifies that justice 
"should be always administered in the colony in 
"the name of Louis the well-beloved. It results 
" from the solid basis of the solemn act of cession 
"and other accessories, that the inhabitants and 
"merchants have good reason to present you with 
" their most humble remonstrances ; and you, gen- 
" tlemen, fully authorized to pronounce thereupon. 
"Let us now accurately examine the act of cession 
" and the letter written by Mr. Ulloa to the superior 



136 Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 

"conseil superieur. Je crois devoir rapporter mot 
" a mot I'extrait de la lettre du roi, qui fut publiee, 
" affichee, & enregistree. 

" Ce meme acte solemnel de cession qui donne 
" titre de propriete a S. M. C. statue pour les colons 
'^des privileges anciens & connus, & la parole roy- 
"ale de notre seigneur roi, en promet & en fait es- 
" perer de nouveaux dont les malheurs de la guerre 
"Font prive de faire jouir ses sujets, les privileges 
"anciens etant suprimes par I'autorite du com- 
" missaire de S. M. C. la propriete devient caduque ; 
"Facte de cession par pure, simple & bonne amitie 
" s'est fait avec ses reserves qui confirment les pri- 
" vileges & libertes, & promet aux habitans une vie 
"tranquile, a I'abri de leurs loix canoniques & ci- 
"viles. La propriete resultant d'une cession par 
" don gratuit, ne pent se repeter & etre obtenu qu'en 
" satisf aisant pendant toute la propriete aux re- 
" serves [80] contenues dans le dit acte de cession. 
"Notre seigneur roi, espere & se promet en conse- 
"quence de Famitie & de Faifection de S. M. C. 
"qu'elle voudra bien donner des ordres a son gou- 
"verneur & a tous autres officiers employes a son 
"service dans cette colonic pour Favantage & la 
"tranquilite des habitans de cette meme colonic, & 
"qu'ils soient juges & leurs biens regis suivant les 



Pittmans Missisippi Settlements 137 



"council. I think it likewise incumbent on me to 
"cite, word for word, the extract of the king's 
" letter, which was published, set up, and registered. 
"This very solemn act of cession, which gives 
"the title of property to his catholic majesty, es- 
" tablishes for the inhabitants of the colony ancient 
" and known privileges, and the royal word of our 
" sovereign lord the king promises, and gives us 
"ground to hope for, others, which the calamities 
" of war have prevented him from making his sub- 
"jects enjoy. The antient privileges having been 
"suppressed by the authority of his catholic maj- 
"esty's commissioner, property becomes preca- 
"rious; the act of cession, through pure good will 
"and friendship, was made with these reserves, 
"which confirm their liberties and privileges, and 
"promises the inhabitants a life of tranquility, 
"under the protection and shelter of their canon 
" and civil laws. The property which results from 
"a cession by free gift cannot be claimed and ob- 
"tained, except by complying with the reserves 
"contained in the [81] said act of cession, during 
"the time of possessing that property. Our sov- 
" ereign lord the king hopes, and promises himself, 
"that in consequence of the friendship and affec- 
"tion shewn by his catholic majesty, that he will 
"be pleased to give orders to his governor, and to 
"all other officers employed in his service in that 
"colony, for the advantage and tranquility of the 
"inhabitants of the colony, and that they should 
"be ruled and their fortunes and estates managed 



138 Pittmans Missisippi Settlements 

" loix, formes & usages de la colonie. Les litres de 
"M. Ulloa peuvent ils faire prevaloir des ordon- 
" nances & des ordres infractaires au respect du a 
" Facte solemnel de cession. Les privileges anciens, 
"la tranquilite des citoyens Francois, les loix, 
" formes & usages de la colonie sont sacres par une 
"promesse royale, par un enregistrement ordonne 
" au conseil superieur, & par une publication notoire 
" & prescrite. Le recours a I'acte de cession par les 
"differens etats de la colonie, est I'unique fin de la 
"lettre de notre seigneur roi; rien de mieux fonde 
" & de plus legal que le droit de representations, ac- 
"quis par autorite royale aux habitans & citoyens 
" de la colonie. 

"Passons a Texamen de la lettre de M. Ulloa, 
" ecrite au conseil superieur de la Nouvelle Orleans 
"en datte du 10 Juillet 1765. Je rapporterai mot a 
"mot I'article concernant M. le conseil superieur & 
" messieurs les habitans. 

'' Je me Hate d'avance qu'elle pourra me propor- 
" tionner des occasions favorahles pour vous te- 
'' moigner les desirs qu'ils m'assistent de pouvoir 
''vous rendre tous les services, que vous & mes- 
'' sieurs les habitans pourront souhaiter, de quoi je 
''vous prie de les assurer de ma part, & qu'en cela 
" ne ferai que remplir mes devoirs & Hater mon in- 
" clination. 

"M. Ulloa a prouve par la les ordres qu'il avoit 
"regu de S. M. C. conformes a I'acte solemnel de 



Pittmaris Missisippi Settlements 139 

according to the laws, forms, and customs of the 
colony. Can Mr. Ulloa's titles give weight to 
ordinances and orders which violate the respect 
due to the solemn act of cession? The antient 
privileges, the tranquility of the subjects of 
France, the laws, forms, and customs of the 
colony, are rendered sacred by a royal promise, 
by a registering ordered by the superior council, 
and by a publication universally known. The 
recourse had to the act of cession by the different 
classes of the colony is the sole aim of the letter 
of our sovereign lord the king; nothing can be 
better grounded or more legal than the right of 
remonstrating, which the inhabitants and citizens 
of the colony have acquired by royal authority. 
"Let us proceed to an examination of the letter 
of Mr. Ulloa, written to the superior council of 
New Orleans, dated the loth of July, 1765. (I 
shall here cite, word for word, the article relative 
to the superior council and the inhabitants.) 

""/ Hatter myself beforehand, that it will he able 
to procure me favourable opportunities to testify 
to you my desires of having it in my power to do 
you all the service that you and the inhabitants 
can wish, which I beg you would assure them of 
from me, and let them know that in acting thus I 
shall at once discharge my duty and gratify my 
inclinations." 

"Mr. Ulloa proved thereby the orders which he 
had received from his catholic majesty, conform- 
able to the solemn act of [83] cession, and he 



140 Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 

"cession, & il annongoit un sentiment [82] indis- 
"pensable a tout gouverneur qui veut bien servir 
"son roi dans les colonies. Specialement sans ha- 
"bitans point de commerce, sans commerce peu 
"d'habitans. Le rapport des deux industries a la 
"masse de I'etat, etaye les trones. La liberte & la 
"concurrence sont meres nourrices des deux etats; 
"I'exclusion, le tiran & le maratre. Sans liberte 
"peu de vertus. Du despotisme nait la pusillani- 
" mite & Fabime des vices. Uhomme n'est reconnu 
"pecher vis-a-vis de Dieu, que parce qu'il conserve 
"le libre arbitre, ou est la liberte des habitans & 
"des negogians? Les marques de protection & de 
" bienveillance sont converties en despotisme: una 
"seule autorite veut tout aneantir. Tous les etats 
" sans distinction ne doivent plus, sans courir risque 
"d'etre taxes de crime, que trembler, etre asservis 
"& ramper: le conseil superieur, boulevard de la 
" tranquilite des citoyens vertueux, ne s'est soutenu 
" que par la probite, le desinteressement des magis- 
"trats, & la confiance reunie des citoyens en eux. 
"Sans prise de possession, sans I'enregistrement 
" indispensable au conseil superieur des titres & pa- 
"tentes suivant les loix, formes, & usages de la 
"colonic & de la presentation de I'acte de cession, 
" M. UUoa a fait juger par un president, trois con- 
" seillers, & un greffier, nommes d'office des f aits de 



Pittmans Missisippi Settlements 141 

"discovered a sentiment indispensable in every 
"governor who is desirous of serving his king in 
"the colonies: especially as without inhabitants 
" there can be no commerce, and without commerce 
"few inhabitants. The proportion of industry to 
" the bulk of the state supports and props the throne. 
" Liberty and emulation are the nursing mothers of 
"the state; monopoly or exclusion, the tyrant and 
"the step-mother. Without liberty there are but 
" few virtues. From despotism springs pusillanim- 
" ity and the abyss of vices. Man is considered as 
"sinning before God only because he retains his 
"free-will, upon which depends the liberty of in- 
" habitants and merchants. Instances of protection 
"and benevolence are converted into despotism: a 
"single authority would absorb and annihilate 
"every thing. All ranks, without distinction, can 
" no longer, without running the risk of being taxed 
"with guilt, do any thing else but tremble, bow 
"their necks to the yoke, and lick the dust. The 
"superior council, bulwark of the tranquility of 
" virtuous citizens, has supported itself only by the 
"probity, the disinterestedness of merchants, and 
"confidence of the united citizens in that tribunal. 
"Without taking possession, without registering, 
"as was necessary, in the superior council, titles 
"and patents according to the laws, forms, and 
" customs of the colony, and to the requisition of the 
" act of cession, Mr. Ulloa has caused a president, 
"three counsellors, and a secretary, nominated for 
"the purpose, to take cognizance of facts which 



142 Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 

"la competence du conseil superieur & concernant 
" des citoyens Frangois. Vingt f ois les mecontente- 
"mens, & desagremens sembloient vous forcer a 
"vous demettre de vos places, mais vous avez tou- 
" jours regarde annexe a votre etat de conseiller du 
"roi tres-chretien, d'adoucir & de calmer les mur- 
" mures des citoyens vexes. L'amour de la patrie, 
" & la justice due a tout citoyen qui la reclame ont 
" nourri votre zele. Elle s'est rendue avec la meme 
" exactitude, vous n'avez jamais voulu faire vos re- 
" presentations aux infractions f aites a I'acte de ces- 
"sion, vous avez toujours craint d'autoriser une 
"masse de colonic [84] mecontante & menacee des 
"plus grands malheurs, vous avez prefere la tran- 
" quilite publique : mais la masse des habitans & ne- 
"gocians vous demandent justice. 

"Passons a I'examen exact & scrupuleux des 
" griefs, plaintes, & imputations contenues dans les 
"representations des habitans & des negocians. 
" Quels tristes & notoires tableaux vous exposent 
" les dites representations ! les fleaux de la derniere 
"guerre, une suspension jusqu'a ce jour de pay- 
"ment de sept millions de papier du roi mis sur la 
" place pour les besoins du service & regus avec con- 
" fiance par les negocians & habitans avoient recule 
" Taisance & les f acilites de la circulation ; mais I'ac- 
"tivite & I'industrie du cultivateur & negocians 
" Frangois avoient presque surmonte les echecs. Les 
"coins les plus recules des possessions sauvages 



Pittmans Missisippi Settlements 143 

"should properly be determined by the superior 
"council, and in which French citizens were con- 
"cerned. Often did discontents and disgusts seem 
"to force you to resign your places, but you have 
"always considered it as a duty of your station 
"of counsellors to the most christian king, to 
"alleviate and calm the murmurs of the oppressed 
" citizens. The love of your country, and the justice 
"due to every citizen who applies for it, have 
" nourished your zeal. It has been always rendered 
" with the same exactness ; you never thought proper 
"to make your representations upon the act of 
"cession; you declined to authorise a numerous 
" [85] discontented colony, threatened with the 
"most dreadful calamities; you preferred public 
"tranquility: but the bulk of the inhabitants and 
" merchants apply to you for justice. 

"Let us now proceed to an accurate and scru- 
" pulous examination of the grievances, complaints, 
"and imputations contained in the representations 
" of the inhabitants and merchants. What sad and 
"dismal pictures do the said representations bring 
"before your eyes! The scourges of the last war, 
"a suspension to this day of the payment of seven 
"millions of paper-money of the king's, laid down 
" to supply the calls of the service, and received with 
" confidence by the merchants and inhabitants, had 
"obstructed the ease and facility of the circula- 
"tion, but the activity and industry of the planter 
"and French merchants had almost got the better 
"of all difficulties. The most remote corners 



144 Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 



' avoient ete decouverts, le commerce des pelleteries 

* etoit pousse a son plus haut point, la nouvelle cul- 
'ture du cotton adoptee, jointe aux indigots & ta- 
*bacs, assuroient des chargemens aux armateurs. 
' Le commissaire de S. M. C. avoit annonce & pro- 
*mis dix ans de liberte de commerce, ce tems suffi- 

* soit pour tout citoyen Francois attache a son sei- 
' gneur roi. Les tabacs de cette colonic prohibes en 
'Espagne, ou ceux de la Havanne sont les seuls 
'permis: les bois (branche considerable des reve- 
*nus des habitans) inutiles a I'Espagne fournis 
' dans cet objet par ses possessions, & enfin I'indigo 
' inf erieur a celui de Guatimala qui en f ournit plus 
'qu'il n'en faut aux manufactures d'Espagne, ren- 
'doient ruineux les retours des denrees des habi- 
*tans en Espagne & livroient les dits habitans a la 
'plus grande misere. Le commissaire de S. M. C. 
'avoit constate publiquement I'impossibilite du 
'commerce de ce pays avec I'Espagne: toute pro- 
'tection, faveur, encouragement, etoient journelle- 

ment promis a Fhabitant, le titre de protecteur 
[86] fut decerne a M. Ulloa, la bonne foi & la 
confiance nourissoient I'esperance & I'activite ne- 
cessaire au cultivateur; mais par quelle fatalite 
ruinante & imperceptible a-t-on vu une maison de 
vingt mille livres vendue six mille livres, & les 
habitations tout-a-coup perdre sur leur valeur in- 
trinsique la moitie & les deux tiers ? Les fortunes 



Pittmans Missisippi Settlements 145 



"of the possessions of the savages had been dis- 
" covered, the fur trade had been carried to its 
"highest perfection, the new culture of cotton 
" adopted, these, joined to the indigoes and tobaccos, 
"secured cargoes to those who were concerned in 
"fitting out ships. His cathoHc majesty's com- 
" missioner had promised a free trade for ten years, 
"that period being sufficient for every subject of 
"France attached to his sovereign the king. The 
"tobaccos of this colony prohibited in Spain, or 
" those of the Havannah, are the only ones allowed : 
"the woods (a considerable branch of the income of 
"the inhabitants) being useless to Spain, furnished 
"in this article by its plantations, and the indigo 
"being inferior to that of Guatimala, which sup- 
" plies more than requisite to the manufactures of 
" Spain, these circumstances ruined the returns of 
" the commodities of the inhabitants of this colony 
" to Spain, and delivered up the said inhabitants a 
"prey to the most dreadful misery. His catholic 
"majesty's commissioner had publickly proved the 
" impossibility of this country's trading with Spain : 
" all patronage, favour, encouragement, were every 
" day promised the inhabitant ; the title of protector 
"was decreed to Mr. Ulloa; [87] sincerity and 
" confidence nourished hope and the activity neces- 
" sary to the planter : but by what undermining and 
" imperceptible fatality have we seen a house worth 
" twenty thousand livres sold for six thousand, and 
" habitations all on a sudden lose one half and two- 
" thirds of their intrinsic value? Fortunes waste 



146 Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 

*' s'ecroulent, & le numeraire est plus rare que ja- 
" mais ; la confiance est perdue, & le decouragement 
"est general, tout retentit du cri lugubre de la mi- 
"sere, & le precieux titre de citoyen Frangois se 
"voit eclipser, & le fatal decret concernant le com- 
"merce de la Louisiane porte le dernier coup de 
" massue a Faneantissement total de la colonie. Le 
''pavilion Espagnol est arbore a la Balise & aux 
" Illinois, & autres lieux, aucuns titres, aucunes pa- 
"tentes, n'ont ete presentees au conseil superieur: 
"le terns fuit, les delais fixes pour la liberte de 
" I'emigration se trouveront expires, la force tira- 
" nisera, il f audra vivre asservis, charges de chaines 
"ou abandonner precipitamment des etablissemens 
"transportes du grand-pere au petit-fils. Tous les 
"habitans & negocians vous demandent leur sei- 
" gneur roi, Louis le bien-aime ! leur fortunes & leur 
" sang sont offert pour vivre & mourir Frangois. 

" Passons au resume des points de charge, griefs 
" & imputations. M. Ulloa a fait juger par des con- 
" seillers par lui nommes d'office des faits de la com- 
"petence du conseil superieur concernant les seuls 
"citoyens Franqois: les sentences ont ete signifiees 
"& mises a I'execution contre les sieurs Cadis & 
" Leblanc ; M. Ulloa a soutenu les negres mecontens 
"de leurs maitres, M. le commissaire de S. M. C. 
"n'a presente au conseil superieur aucun de ses 
"titres, pouvoirs, & provisions, n'a point exhibe la 



Pittman's Missisippi Settlements i/\.j 

"away, and specie is more scarce than ever; confi- 
" dence is lost, and the discouragement becomes gen- 
"eral; the plaintive cries of distress are heard on 
" every side, the precious name of subject of France 
" is seen to be eclipsed, and the fatal decree concern- 
" ing the commerce of Louisiana gives the last fatal 
"stroke to the colony, that must totally annihilate 
" it. The Spanish standard is set up at Balise and 
"at the Illinois, and other places: no titles, no 
"patents were presented to the superior council: 
" time flies apace, the delays fixed for the liberty of 
"emigration will soon expire, force will tyrannise, 
"we must live in slavery and loaded with chains, 
"or precipitately forsake establishments delivered 
"down from the grandfather to the grandson. All 
" the inhabitants and merchants call upon you, their 
"sovereign lord the king, Lewis the well-beloved; 
"their treasures and their blood are offered, they 
" are resolved to live and die French. 

" Let us proceed to resume the points of the 
"charge, grievances and imputations. Mr. UUoa 
" has caused counsellors, named by himself, to take 
"cognizance of facts, which should by right be 
" determined by the superior council, relative to the 
"subjects of France alone: the sentences have been 
"signified and put in execution against messieurs 
"Cadis and Leblanc; Mr. Ulloa has supported the 
"negroes, dissatisfied with their masters; the com- 
"missary of his catholic majesty has presented to 
" the superior council none of his titles, powers, and 
"provisions; has not exhibited a copy of the act 



148 Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 

"copie de I'acte de cession pour en demander acte, 
"a sans les dites formalites indispensables arbore 
"pavilion Espagnol a la Balise, aux Illinois & au- 
"tres lieux; a, sans autorite legale, puni & chatie 
*'& vexe des [88] citoyens Francois; en a meme 
"envoye aux arrets dans la fregate de S. M. C. a 
"usurpe, de sa seule autorite, le quart des com- 
"munes des habitans de la ville, se Test approprie 
"& I'a fait entourer pour y faire paroitre ses che- 
"vaux. 

" Le tout murement examine, je requiers pour le 
"roi, que les sentences rendues par les conseillers 
''nommes d'office & mises a execution contre les 
"sieurs Cadis & Leblanc, citoyens Frangois, soient 
"declares attentatoires a I'autorite de notre sei- 
"gneur roi, & destructives du respect du a sa justice 
" souveraine seantes en son conseil superieur, en ce 
"qu'elles violent les loix, formes, & usages de la 
"colonic, confirmes & guarantis par I'acte solemnel 
"de cession; que M. Ulloa soit declare infractaire 
"a nos loix, formes, usages, & aux ordres de S. 
" M. C. par Facte de cession & certifie par sa lettre 
"dattee de la Havanne du dix Juillet 1765; qu'il 
"soit declare usurpateur d'une autorite illegale en 
" f aisant chatier & vexer des citoyens Frangois sans 
"avoir au prealable satisfait aux loix, formes, & 
"usages de faire enregistrer au conseil superieur 



Pittmans Missisippi Settlements 149 

"of cession, in order to have it registered; has, 
" without the said indispensable formaHties, set up 
" the Spanish standard at BaHse, at the lUinois, and 
"other places; has, without legal authority, pun- 
dished and oppressed subjects of France; [89] has 
"even confined some in the frigate of his catholic 
"majesty; has by his authority alone usurped the 
"fourth part of the common of the inhabitants of 
"the city; has appropriated it to himself, and has 
" caused it to be surrounded, that his horses might 
" graze there. 

" Having maturely weighed all this, I require, in 
" behalf of the king, that the sentences pronounced 
" by the counsellors nominated for the purpose, and 
"put in execution against messieurs Cadis and Le 
"Blanc, subjects of France, be declared encroach- 
"ments upon the authority of our sovereign lord 
"the king, and destructive of the respect due to 
"his supreme justice, seated in his superior coun- 
" cil, inasmuch as they violate the laws, forms, and 
" customs of the colony, confirmed and guaranteed 
"by the solemn act of cession; that Mr. Ulloa be 
"declared to have violated our laws, forms, cus- 
"toms, and the orders of his catholic majesty in 
" the act of cession, which is confirmed by his letter 
"from the Havannah, dated the 20th of July 1765; 
"that he be declared usurper of illegal authority, 
" by causing subjects of France to be punished and 
"oppressed, without having previously complied 
" with the laws, forms, and customs, in causing his 
"powers, titles, and provisions to be registered in 



150 Pittmans Missisippi Settlements 

" ses pouvoirs litres & provisions & la copie de I'acte 
''de cession pour en demander acte; qu'il soit en- 
" joint a M. UUoa commissaire de S. M. C. de sor- 
" tir de la colonie dans la f regate sur laquelle il est 
" venu sous le plus court delai pour eviter des acci- 
"dens ou de nouvelles rumeurs; & d'aller rendre 
''compte de sa conduite a S. M. C. & quant aux 
"differens postes etablis par mon dit sieur Ulloa 
" qu'il soit dit qu'il laissera les ordres par ecrit qu'il 
"jugera convenable; qu'il soit declare responsable 
"de tons les evenemens qu'il auroit pu prevoir; 
"que messieurs Aubry &: Foucault soient pries & 
"meme sommes, au nom de notre seigneur roi, de 
" continuer a commander & regir la colonie comme 
"ils faisoient ci-devant, que tous batimens sortant 
" de cette colonie ne puissent [90] etre expedies que 
" sous des passeports signes de M. Foucault faisant 
"fonctions d'ordonnateur ; que la prise de posses- 
" sion ne pourra etre proposee ni tentee par aucuns 
"moyens sans de nouveaux ordres de S. M. T. C. 
" que messieurs Loyola, Gayarro, & Navarro seront 
"declares etre garants de leur signature dans les 
"bons qu'il sont mis sur la place s'ils ne sont ap- 
"paroir des ordres de S. M. C. qui les ait autorises 
" a mettre les dits Bons & papiers sur la place ; qu'il 
"leur soit accorde les delais necessaires pour don- 
" ner I'ordre qu'ils jugeront convenable a leur comp- 



Pittmans Missisippi Settlements 151 

"the superior council, with the copy of the act of 
"cession; that it be enjoined Mr. Ulloa, commis- 
" sioner of his cathoHc majesty, to leave the colony 
" in the frigate in which he came, without delay, to 
" avoid accidents and new clamours, and to go and 
" give an account of his conduct to his catholic maj- 
" esty : and with regard to the different posts estab- 
" lished by the said Mr. Ulloa, he is desired to leave 
"in writing such orders, as he shall think neces- 
"sary; that he be declared responsible for all the 
"events which he might have foreseen; that 
"Messrs. Aubry and Foucault be requested, and 
"even summoned, in the name of our sovereign 
" lord the king, to continue to command and govern 
" the colony as they did heretofore ; that such ships 
"as sail from this colony shall not [91] be dis- 
" patched without passports signed by Mr. Fou- 
"cault, invested with the office of regulator, and 
"discharging the duties enjoined by it; that the 
" taking possession can neither be proposed nor at- 
"tempted by any means, without new orders being 
" issued by his most christian majesty; that Messrs. 
"Loyola, Gayarro, and Navarro, shall be declared 
"guarantees of their signature for the goods and 
"paper-circulation which they have caused to be 
"exposed in the market-place, if they do not pro- 
" duce the orders of his catholic majesty, empower- 
"ing them to expose the said goods and paper- 
" circulation in the public market-place ; that a suf- 
"ficient time be granted them to take the proper 
" measures to be ready to give an account of their 



152 Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 

" tabilite. Que les habitans & negocians soient au- 
" torises a choisir des deputes pour aller porter leurs 
"suppliques au seigneur roi; qu'il soit fixe & ar- 
"rete, que le conseil superieur addressera des re- 
" presentations a notre seigneur roi, que I'arret a 
"intervenir soit lu, public, affiche, & enregistre; 
" que copies collationnees en soient envoyees a mon- 
" seigneur le due de Praslin avec une lettre du con- 
" seil superieur & aussi dans les postes de la colonie 
"pour y etre lues, publiees, affichees, & enregis- 
" trees." 

Oui le rapport de messieurs, M**"^ Uchet ecuyer, 
sieur de Knion, & Piot Delaunay, conseillers com- 
missaires en cette partie, le tout murement examine 
& la matiere mise en deliberation, le procureur- 
general oui & retire : 

Le conseil compose de treize membres dont six 
nommes d'office, ayant chacun donne son avis par 
ecrit, disant droit sur les dites representations, a 
declare & declare les sentences rendues par des con- 
seillers nommes d'office par M. Ulloa, & mises a 
execution contre les sieurs Cadis & Leblanc citoy- 
ens Frangois, attentatoires a Fautorite de notre 
seigneur roi & destructives du respect du a sa jus- 
tice souveraine seante en son conseil superieur; Fa 
declare usurpateur [92] d'une autorite illegale en 
faisant chatier & vexer des citoyens Frangois, sans 
avoir au prealable satisfait aux loix & formes, n'ay- 



Pittmans Missisippi Settlements 153 

" proceedings. That the inhabitants and merchants 
" be empowered to elect deputies to carry their peti- 
"tions and supphcations to our sovereign lord the 
"king; that it be fixed and determined, that the 
" superior council shall make representations to our 
"sovereign lord the king; that the decree which is 
" issued shall be read, set up, published, and regis- 
"tered; that confronted copies be sent to his grace 
"the duke of Praslin, with a letter of the superior 
" council, and likewise to the posts of the colony, to 
" be there read, set up, published, and registered." 

The report being heard of Messrs. Attre Uchet, 
esq. le sieur de Knion, and Piot Delaunay, counsel- 
lors and commissioners appointed for this purpose, 
the whole being duly weighed and the subject delib- 
erated upon, the attorney-general having been 
heard and having retired : 

The council composed of thirteen members, of 
which six are nominated to officiate, having each 
of them given their opinion in writing, pronounc- 
ing upon the said representations, has declared and 
declares the sentences pronounced by the counsel- 
lors nominated by Mr. Ulloa, and carried into ex- 
ecution against Messrs. Cadis and Le Blanc, sub- 
jects of France, to be encroachments upon the au- 
thority of our sovereign lord the king, and de- 
structive of the respect due to his supreme justice, 
vested in his superior council; [93] has declared 
and declares him an usurper of illegal authority, in 
causing subjects of France to be punished and op- 
pressed without having previously complied with 



154 Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 

ant fait apparoir ni enregistrer ses pouvoirs, titres 
& provisions; & au prejudice des privileges a eux 
conserves par le dit acte de cession: & pour preve- 
nir quelque violence du peuple, & eviter quelque 
tumulte dangereux, le conseil par sa prudence ordi- 
naire, se trouve oblige d'enjoindre, comme de fait 
il en joint a M. Ulloa de sortir de la colonic sous 
trois jours pour tout delai, soit dans la fregate de 
S. M. C. sur laquelle il est venu, ou dans tel autre 
batiment qui lui paroitra convenable, & d'aller ren- 
dre compte de sa conduite a S. M. C. a ordonne & 
ordonne que concernant les postes par lui etablis 
dans le haut du fleuve, il laissera tels ordres qu'il 
jugera convenables, le rendant responsable de tons 
les evenemens qu'il auroit pu prevoir. A prie & 
prie messieurs Aubry & Foucault & les somme 
meme au nom de notre seigneur roi, de continuer a 
commander & regir, comme ils faisoient ci-devant 
la colonic: defend expressement a tous armateurs 
& capitaines d'expedier aucun batiment sous autre 
passeport que celui de M. Foucault, faisant fonc- 
tion de Fordonnateur : a ordonne & ordonne que la 
prise de possession pour S. M. C. ne pourra etre 
proposee & tentee, par aucun moyens, sans des nou- 
veaux ordres de S. M. T. C. qu'en consequence M. 
Ulloa s'embarquera sous le dit delai de trois jours 
dans tel batiment qu'il jugera a propos avec tous 
les matelots qui sont a la Balise. Pour ce qui con- 



Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 155 

the lav/s and forms, having neither produced his 
powers, titles, and provisions, nor caused them to 
be registered, and that in prejudice of the privileges 
insured to them by the said act of cession: and to 
prevent any violence of the populace, and avoid any 
dangerous tumult, the council, in its usual pru- 
dence, finds itself obliged to enjoin, as in fact it en- 
joins, Mr. UUoa to quit the colony, allowing him 
only the space of three days, either in the frigate 
of his catholic majesty, in which he came, or in 
whatever vessel he shall think proper, and go and 
give an account of his conduct to his catholic maj- 
esty : it has likewise ordained and ordains, that with 
regard to the posts established by him at the upper 
part of the river, he shall leave such orders as he 
judges expedient, making him at the same time re- 
sponsible for all the events which he might have 
foreseen. It has likewise requested and requests 
Messrs. Aubry and Foucault, and even cites them 
in the name of our sovereign lord the king, to con- 
tinue to command and govern the colony as they 
did heretofore: at the same time expressly forbids 
all those who fit out vessels, and all captains of 
ships, to dispatch any vessel with any other pass- 
port but that of Mr. Foucault, who is to do the 
office of regulator: has likewise ordered and or- 
ders, that the taking possession for his catholic maj- 
esty can neither be proposed nor attempted by any 
means without new orders from his most christian 
majesty: that in consequence Mr. Ulloa shall em- 
bark in the space of three days in whatever ship he 



156 Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 



cerne messieurs Loyola, Gayarro, & Navarro, le 
conseil a ordonne qu'ils pourront rester pour suivre 
leur comptabilite jusques a de nouveaux ordres de 
S. M. T. C. en par eux demeurer garans de leurs 
signatures dans les bons qu'ils ont mis sur la place, 
a moins qu'ils ne fassent apparoir des ordres de S. 
M. C. A autorise & autorise les habitans & nego- 
cians, a choisir [94] telles personnes qu'ils croiront 
convenable pour aller porter leur supplique au 
seigneur roi, & a arrete que pareillement le conseil 
superieur addressera des representations a notre dit 
seigneur roi; ordonne que le present arret sera im- 
prime, lu, public & affiche & enregistre en tous les 
lieux & postes de cette colonic, & que copie en sera 
envoyee a Mgr. le due de Praslin, ministre de la 
marine. 

Mandons, a tous nos huissiers ou sergents sur ce 
requis, faire pour I'execution du present tous actes 
& exploits necessaires, de ce faire donnons pouvoir. 
Et enjoignons au substitut du procureur general 
du roi, tenir le main a I'execution, & d'en avertir la 
cour en son tems. 

Donne, en la chambre de conseil, le vingt neuf 
Octobre 1768. 

Par le conseil, 

GARIC, greffier en chef. 



Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 157 

shall think proper. With regard to what relates 
to Messrs. Loyola, Gayarro, and Navarro, the 
counsel has decreed that they may stay and follow 
their respective business, till they have received 
new orders from the most christian king, and re- 
main sureties of their signatures for the goods and 
paper-circulation which they exposed to public 
view in the market-place, except they produce the 
orders of his catholic majesty. Has likewise au- 
thorised and authorises the [95] inhabitants and 
merchants to chuse whatever persons they think 
proper to go with their petition to our sovereign 
lord the king, and has decreed that the superior 
council shall in like manner make representations 
to our said sovereign lord the king : orders that the 
present decree shall be printed, read, set up, pub- 
lished, and registered in all places and posts of this 
colony, and that a copy of it shall be sent to his 
grace the duke, of Praslin, minister of the marine. ^ 

We order all our bailififs and Serjeants to per- 
form all the acts and ceremonies requisite for car- 
rying the present decree into execution; we at the 
same time empower them to do so. We also enjoin 
the substitute of the king's attorney-general to su- 
perintend the execution, and to apprize the court 
at a proper time. 

Given at the council-chamber on the 29th of Oc- 
tober, 1768. 

By the council, 

GARIC, principal secretary. 



158 Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 

Je proteste contre I'arret du conseil, qui renvoye 
monsieur Don Antonio de UUoa de cette colonic; 
leurs majestes tres chretienne & catholique seront 
offenses du traitement que Ton fait eprouver a une 
personne de son caractere, & malgre le peu de 
forces qui j'ai sous mes ordres, je m'opposerois de 
tout mon pouvoir a son depart, si je ne craignois 
que sa vie ne fut exposee, aussi bien que celle de 
tons les Espagnols qui se trouvent ici. 

Delibere a la chambre de conseil, ce 29 Octobre 
1768. 

Signe 

AUBRY. 

[96] Collatione sur I'original demeure es mi- 
nutes de greffe, par nous greffier en chef soussigne, 
a la Nouvelle Orleans le deux Novembre 1768. 

GARIC, greffier en chef. 

[98] EXTRAIT DES ReGISTRES DU CONSEIL SUPE- 
RIEUR DE LA PROVINCE DE LA LOUISIANE, 

DU 31 Octobre 1768 

Vu par le conseil superieur, la protestation faite 

par M. Aubry, chevalier de I'ordre royal & militaire 

de St. Louis, commandant pour sa majeste tres- 

chretienne de la ditte province, a I'arret de la cour 



Pittmans Missisippi Settlements 159 

I protest against the decree of the council, which 
dismisses don Antonio de Ulloa from this colony; 
their most christian and catholic majesties will be 
offended at this usage of a person of his character ; 
and tho' I have so small a force subject to my or- 
ders, I should with all my might oppose his de- 
parture, were I not apprehensive of endangering 
his life, as well as the lives of all the Spaniards in 
this country. 

Deliberated at the council-chamber this 29th of 
October 1768. 

Signed 

AUBRY. 

[97] Compared with the original, left amongst 
the minutes of the secretary's office, by me, the first 
secretary, whose name is hereto signed, at New 
Orleans, 2d of November 1768. 

GARIC, principal secretary. 



[99] Extract of the Registers of the Superior 
Council of the Province of Louisiana, 
3 1 ST October 1768 
The superior council having taken into consider- 
ation the protest made by Mr. Aubry, knight of the 
royal and military order of St. Louis, governor of 
said province for his most christian majesty, 
against the decree of court delivered on the 29th of 
the present month against Mr. Ulloa, commissioner 
of his catholic majesty; and this protest being read 



l6o Pittman's Missisippi Settlements 

rendu le 29 du present mois, centre M. Ulloa com- 
missaire de S. M. C. icelle lue I'audience tenante; 
oui sur ce, le procureur-general du roi en ses con- 
clusions; la matiere raise en deliberations: le con- 
seil, sans condamner les motifs qui ont donne lieu 
a M. Aubry, de protester contre I'arret de la cour 
du 29 du present, a declare & declare la ditte pro- 
testation nulle, & comme non avenue; ordonne que 
le dit arret sortira son plein & entier effet, ce qui 
sera execute en toute sa forme & teneur. 

Donne & delibere en la chambre de conseil, le 31 
Octobre 1768. 

Par le conseil, 

GARIC, greffier en chef. 



FIN. 



Pittmans Missisippi Settlements i6i 

whilst the audience was holding, and the king's 
attorney-general being heard thereupon, and the 
matter thoroughly debated; the council, without 
condemning the motives which have caused Mr. 
Aubry to protest against the decree of court of the 
29th of the present month, has declared and de- 
clares the said protest null and void, and orders 
that the said decree shall have its entire effect, 
which shall be executed in its full force and tenor. 

Given and resolved at the council-chamber, Octo- 
ber 31, 1768. 

By the council, 

GARIC, principal secretary. 



FINIS. 



INDEX 



Note : Pittman's spelling of proper names is corrected in this index 



ABBADIE, D', 10, 47, 48, 49, 

76, 94. 
Acadiians, 51, 52, 60, 76. 
Adaes, Fort of, 32. 
Alabama River, 60, 76. 
Amite River, 64-71. 
Appalaches, 12. 
Appalachicola, 9. 
Arkansas Post, 62, 82-8'3. 
Arkansas River, 31, 83. 
Arret of the Superior Council, 

Oct. 29, 1768, 15, 50, 104-157. 
Ascantia, Bayou, 64, 65. 
Atchafalaya River, 76. 
Aubry, Charles Chevalier d', 

49, 50, 51, 53, 77, 159. 

BALIZB, 34, 38. 

Beauvais (Vitol Ste. Geme). 

Beckwith, Hiram W., 16. 

Black River, 32. 

Bons (paper-money), 46, 48. 

Bouquet, General HIenry, 9, 11. 

Browne, Montford, 12. 

Brule, 58. 

Bute, Fort, 49. 

CAHOKIA, 91, 92-93, 94. 
Campbell, Captain John, 52, 

69, 70. 
Canadians, 92, 102. 
Cannes, 58. 
Capuchins, 42. 
Caresse, Pierre, 56. 
Chapitoula, 58. 
Charlevoix, Pierre F. X. de, 

23. 
Chartres, Fort, 10, 11, 86, 87, 

88-90, 91, 92, 94. 
Craw-fish, 34. 
Croghan, Major George, 10. 

DAVION'S Rock, 10, 75. 
Denny, Captain, 12. 
Des Moines River, 30. 
Doucet, Julien Jerome, 56. 

ENGLISH Turn, 39. 

FARMER, Major Robert, 11, 
13, 14, 69, 70. 



Florida, East and WIest, 9, 13, 
15. 

Fort Adams, 75. 

Forts. See Adaes, Bute, Char- 
tres, Gage, Rosalie, and 
Toulouse. 

Foucault, Intendant, 49, 56. 

GAGE, Fort, 85. 

Gage, General Thomas, 11, 14, 

63. 
Garic, Jean Baptiste, 56, 157, 

160. 
Gentilly, 58. 

Germans, 51, 52, 58, 60, 8'3. 
Grandmaison, Major de, 51. 

HALDIMAND, General Fred- 
erick, 11, 12, 13, 14, 25. 

Hennepin, Father Liouis, 23. 

Hops, 78, 97. 

Hutchins, Thomas, 15, 16, 87, 
91. 

IBERVILLE River, 11, 13, 33, 
52, 62-71, 72. 

Illinois Country; description, 
97-98; government, 99-101; 
inhabitants, 102-103. 

Illinois River, 30, 31, 62, 70, 
75, 83, 84, 97. 

Illinois Villages, 10, 11, 17. 

Imlay, Gilbert, 15. 

Indians: Alabamas, 60; Ar- 
kansas, 82; Attacapas, 62, 
76; Caddoes, 83; Cahokias, 
97; Cherokees, 85; Chicka- 
saws, 36, 58; ChoctawS; 47, 
58; Creeks, 47; Houmas, 60; 
Kaskaskias, 97; Kickapoo^ 
97; Mascoutens, 97; Miamis, 
97; Michigamias, 97; Ouia- 
tanons, 97; Padoucas, 83; 
Pawnees, 83; Peorias, 97; 
Piankishaws, 97; Quapaws, 
see Arkansas; Tonicas, 10, 
75. 

Indigo, 59, 73. 

JOHNSTONE, Gov. George, 
10, 13, 15, 24, 71. 



164 Pittman's Mississippi Settlements 



KASKASKIA, 16, 83, 84-8'6, 87, 

95. 
Kerlerec, Louis Billouart de, 

46, 47, 48. 
Kitchin, Thomas, 17. 

LA FOURCHE, 60. 
Lafreniere, Nico las Chauvin 

de, 51, 56, 57. 
L' Argent, Bayou, 80. 
La Salle, Robert Cavelier de. 

29. 
Law, Jolm, 58, 83. 
Le Page du Pratz, 23. 
Loftus, Major Arthur, 10, 75. 
Louisiana: government, 44; 

produce, 59. 

MAIZJE, 59, 74, 76, 96. 

Manchac, Bayou, 64-71; Pass, 
65. 

Marquis, Pierre, 56. 

Masan, Balthasar, 51, 56. 

Maurepas, Lake, 64, 65, &6, 67. 

Miami River, 97. 

Milhet, Jean and Joseph, 56, 

Minnesota River, 30. 

Misere. See Ste. Genevieve. 

Mississippi River, 9, 10, 11, 13, 
15, 16, 29-40, 62, 63, 68, 72, 
87, 89, 92, 95, 97. 

Missouri River, 30, 31. 

Mobile, 9', 10, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 
24, 26, 47. 

Mobile Bay, 12. 

Moingona (Des Moines) Riv- 
er, 30. 

NATALBANY River, 66. 
Natchez, 11, 34, 36, 52, 64, 71, 

78-81. 
Natchitoches, 32, 36, 62. 
New Orleans, 13, 16, 17, 35, 36, 

41-61. 
Noyan, Jean Baptlste de, 56, 

i57. 

OHIO River, 11, 31, 97. 
Opelousas, 33, 76-77. 
O'Reilly, Alejandro, 17, 50-55. 



PAGET, , 85. 

Paincourt, 94. 

Parkman, Francis, 10, 13. 

Pelousas. See Opelousas. 

Pelrin, , 76. 

Pensacola, 9, 11, 12, 13, 24-25, 

26, 63, 71. 
Peoria, Rock of, 84. 
Perier, Rene Boucher de la, 

79. 
Petit, Joseph, 56. 
Pittman, Philip, 9-17. 
Planters' life, 45. 
Pointe Coupee, 59, 62, 72-74, 

75, 76. 
Pontchartrain, Lake, 12, 41, 

58, 63, 64, 65, 66. 
Poole, William F., 16. 
Poupet, Pierre, 56. 
Pownall, Governor Thomas, 

15. 
Prairie du Rocher, 87. 

RBiD River, 10, 32, 33, 76, 78". 

Rochemore, , 47. 

Rosalie, Fort, 11, 16, 80, 81. 

SACIER, , 50. 

St. Ange de Bellrive, Louis, 

49. 
St. Carlos, 34, 38. 
St. Croix River, 30. 
St. Francis River, 31. 
St. John, Bayou, 41, 58. 
St. Louis, 94. 
St. Philip, 91. 
St. Pierre (Minnesota) River, 

30. 
St. Sulpice Mission, 92. 
Ste. Genevieve, 95-96. 
Salt works, 95. 
Salverte, Perier de, 79. 
Saw-mills, 60. 
Shrimps, 34. 
Soto, Hernando de, 32. 
Spanish moss, 81. 
Stirling, Captain Thomas, 11. 
Sugar, 59. 

TANGIPAHOA River, 66. 
Taylor, Colonel William, 10. 



Index 



i6s 



Tigouiou, Bayou, 58. 
Tobacco, 32, 73, 76, 78, 97. 
Tombecbe, 12. 
Toulouse, Fort, 60, 76. 

ULL.OA, Antonio de, 17, 34, 

49, 50, 76. 
Ursulines, Convent of, 43. 



VALET, 



95. 



Villere, Joseph, M, 
Vincennes, 62, 102. 

WABASH River, 62, 97, 103. 
Wallace, Joseph, 16. 
Water-mills, 85, 91, 96. 
west Florida, 10, 11, 13, 15, 
26, 41, 63, 71, 78. 

YAZOO' River, 32. 



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An Elaborate Analytical Index to the Whole 

** This new series of historical and geographical works by the scholarly 
editor of' The "Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents,'' promises to be 
particularly valuable and of more than usual popular interest. All the 
hooks are rare, some of them exceedingly so, no copy being found in the 
largest collections on this side of the Atlantic, or in many abroad. They 
are copiously explained and illustrated by introductions and notes, bio- 
graphical sketches of the authors, bibliographical data, etc. The series 

should, of course, be in every public, collegiate, and insti- 
tutional library, to say nothing of private collections of 
respectable rank. The works included naturally vary in literary 
merit and attractiveness, but many of them will compare favorahly 
with the better class of modern books of travel, while some are as fas- 
cinating as the best fiction." — The Critic. 



The Arthur H. Clark Company 

'PV'BLISHE%S CLEVELAND, OHIO 



Extracts from a few of the reviews 

American Historical Review : **The books are handsomely bound and print- 
ed. The editing by Dr. Thwaites seems to have been done with his 
customary" care and knowledge. There is no want of helpful annotations. 

The books therefore are likely to be of more real value than the 
early prints from which they are taken." 

The Independent : *'The editor's annotadons make the present series worth 
possessing, even if one already owns the originals." 

The Literary Digest: "It is next to impossible, at this late date, 
even to a well-endowed public library, to amass a consider- 
able collection of these early travels, so essential to an adequate 
understanding of the life and manners of the aborigines, and the social and 
economic conditions in the middle and far West, during the period of 
early American settlement. The making of a judicious and competent 
selection of the best and rarest of these writings has become an inevit- 
able requirement ; and the patient company of historians, librarians, 
and scholars will be quick to congratulate each other that the great task 
has fallen to the hands of so well-equipped an editor as Dr. Thwaites, 
eminent as an authority on all questions pertaining to the exploration and 
development of our great Western domain." 

The Forum: "A most helpful contribution to the study of the America of a 
century or so ago." 

The Athenaum: ". . . A series of permanent historical value . . . ItOUght 

to find a place in every geographical or historical library." 

Public Opinion: '*The century that sets the bounds of this work is the most 
important and interesting in the history of the 'winning of the West;' . . 
it is comprehensive, and the materials at the disposal of the editor assure a 
collection that will be indispensable to every well-equipped public 
or private library." 

The Nation: ** A stately series, octavo in size, typographically very open and 
handsome. The annotations are abundant and highly valuable. ' ' 

New York Times Saturday Review: '* Pssi invaluable series of reprints of 
rare sources of American history." 

The Dial: "An undertaking of great interest to every student of 
Western history. Exhaustive notes and introductions are by Dr. 
Thwaites, the foremost authority on Western history, who is also to sup- 
ply an elaborate analytical index, under one alphabet, to the complete 
series. This latter is an especially valuable feature, as almost all the rare 
originals are without indexes. ' ' 



" We cannot thoroughly understand our own history, local or National, without some knowledge 
of these routes of trade and war." — Tlie Outlook. 

The Historic Highways of America 

by Archer Butler Hulbert 

A series of monographs on the History of America as portrayed in the evo- 
lution of its highways of War, Commerce, and Social Expansion. 

Comprising the following volumes : 

I — Paths of the Mound-Building Indians and Great Game Animals. 
II — Indian Thoroughfares. 

Ill — Washington's Road: The First Chapter of the Old French War. 
IV — Braddock's Road, 
V— The Old Glade (Forbes's) Road. 
VI — Boone's Wilderness Road. 
VII — Portage Paths: The Keys of the Continent 
VIII — Military Roads of the Mississippi Basin. 
IX — Waterways of Westward Expansion. 
X — The Cumberland Road. 
XI, XII — Pioneer Roads of America, two volumes. 
XIII, XIV — The Great American Canals, two volumes. 
XV — The Future of Road-Making in America. 
XVI— Index. 

Sixteen volumes, crown 8vo, cloth, uncut, gilt tops. A limited edition 
only printed direct from type, and the type distributed. Each volume hand- 
somely printed in large type on Dickinson's hand-made paper, and illustra- 
ted with maps, plates, and facsimiles. 

Published a volume each two months, beginning September, 1902. 

Price, volumes i and 2, ^2.00 net each; volume* 3 to 16, ^^2.50 net 
each. 

Fifty sets printed on large paper, each numbered and signed by the 
author. Bound in cloth, wdth paper label, uncut, gilt tops. Price, ^5.00 
net per volume. 

"The fruit not only of the study of original historical sources in documents found here and in 
England, but of patient and enthusiastic topographical studies, in the course of which every foot of 
these old historic highways has been traced and traversed." — The Living Age. 

"The volumes already issued show Mr. Hulbert to be an earnest and enthusiastic student, and a 
reliable guide." — Out West. 

" A look through these volumes shows most conclusively that a new source of history is being 
developed — a source which deals with the operation of the most effective causes influencing human 
affairs." — Iowa Journal of Histoiy and Politics. 

" The successive volumes in the series may certainly be awaited with great interest, for they 
promise to deal with the most romantic phases of the awakening of America at the dawn of occi- 
dental civilization." — Boston Transcript. 

" The publishers have done their part toward putting forth with proper dignity this important 
work. It is issued on handsome paper and is illustrated with many maps, diagrams, and old 
prints."— Chicago Evening Post. 



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